DECISION RESERVED ON DOCTOR-ASSISTED DEATH LAW EXTENSION
Jan 11, 2016
By Bob Komsic
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Supreme Court of Canada justices will now take some time to decide whether to grant the Trudeau government’s request for a six-month extension on responding to the high court’s ruling on doctor-assisted death.
A lawyer representing the federal government told the court Monday, more time’s needed to respond to last February’s landmark ruling.
Ottawa’s hoping to be given six more months.
As it stands, the Criminal Code provisions prohibiting doctor-assisted death will cease to exist next month after the high court deemed them unconstitutional last year.
The B. C. Civil Liberties Association, Dying With Dignity Canada and others argue an extension would be a setback for those enduring unbearable pain.
However, Dying With Dignity’s Shanaaz Gokool told Zoomer Radio’s ”Goldhawk Fights Back,” if there is an extension, it should not exceed more than two months and that there should be a special constitutional exemption for those now suffering intolerably, so they should be able to access physician-assisted death within that period.