VIDEO: Life, Death & The Law
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- Published on Thursday, 05 February 2015 04:22
- Written by editor
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Life, Death & The Law: new documentary talks with Canadians fighting for compassionate choice
Dear PAOV,
As you have heard, after three long years before the court, the Supreme Court of Canada is about to announce its decision in our death with dignity lawsuit. On Friday we'll find out whether the court will strike down the laws that criminalize physician assisted dying.
We`re in Ottawa right now, and it's hard to believe the wait is almost over. This has been a long and hard-fought journey for the families who have bravely stepped forward to share their deeply personal stories with the courts, and for our pro bono legal team who have worked tirelessly on this important issue.
Hear their stories
Just in time for the decision, Global News has released a new documentary: Life, Death & The Law. It features seriously ill Canadians, including our friend and client Elayne Shapray, discussing their ability to choose how their lives will end.
Elayne joined the BCCLA’s legal fight in 2011. She is a 67-year-old grandmother and wants the right to have a physician-assisted death before she becomes trapped in her body. The case is a matter of extreme urgency to Elayne who suffers from the late stages of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Regulation, not criminalization
The current laws force seriously and incurably ill Canadians to resort to violent methods or the “back alley” to end their suffering. As this documentary highlights, people find ways to end lives that have become unbearable, no matter what the law says, even if that means choosing a violent, risky death. Regulation of choice in dying, rather than the criminalization of doctors, provides the best protection for seriously ill Canadians.
Watch the video to see what others are saying about physician-assisted suicide, and stay tuned for the decision on Friday morning.
Sincerely,
Josh Paterson, Executive Director
and the entire BCCLA team
