Irreconcilable Differences

Abortion, assisted human reproduction, embryonic stem cell research, same sex marriage. All have been controversial issues among Canadians and legislators. All are issues that politicians prefer not to deal with because of the contentious ethical, legal and social questions involved. All are issues that politicians prefer to hand off to the courts if at all possible.

So what will be the next issues of this kind to perplex Canadians, Parliament and the courts? End-of-life issues—with-holding or withdrawing life‑sustaining treatment for dying persons, physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia—the central subjects of Dying Justice: A Case for Decriminalizing Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide in Canada by Jocelyn Downie, Director of the Health Law Institute at Dalhousie University.

I first encountered Professor Downie in 2001 when she made an impressive submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health, urging better and more comprehensive...