Gloria Taylor, right, is assisted into British Columbia Supreme Court by fellow plaintiff Lee Carter in Vancouver, Dec. 1, 2011.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
The B.C. Supreme Court has declared the ban on physician-assisted suicide unconstitutional, nearly 20 years after the federal Supreme Court upheld a ban on the practice.
This case involved Gloria Taylor, a woman with Lou Gehrig's disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. As Ms. Taylor's health worsens, she wants to have the option of choosing to end her own life, according to the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.
Before the ruling came down, we were joined for a debate by Arthur Schafer of the University of Manitoba and Margaret Somerville of McGill University. Both are recognized scholars on the ethics of physician-assisted suicide. (Mobile users click here)
Chris Hannay