Australia Australia Chronology Euthanasia advocates work to make suicide easy.
Belgium Belgian Law on Euthanasia Belgium Chronology Canada Canada Chronology England England Chronology Germany Germany Chronology Netherlands Clinical Problems With the Performance of Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide in the Netherlands Killing Babies, Compassionately. The Netherlands follows in Germany’s footsteps. Netherlands Chronology Netherlands Summary Seduced by Death: Doctors, Patients, and Assisted Suicide The Slippery Slope: The Dutch Example New Zealand New Zealand Chronology Switzerland Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in Switzerland Assisted-Suicide in Switzerland Open Regulation and Practice in Assisted Dying Switzerland Chronology |
Canada Chronology 1993
- The Canadian Supreme Court ruled by a 5-4 decision that there is not a right to assisted suicide protected by the Canadian Constitution. The case was brought by Sue Rodriguez, 43, of British Columbia, Canada, who had Lou Gehrig's disease and was requesting legal immunity for her physician and others who might assist in her intentional death.
- Robert Latimer, Saskatchewan, Canada, called the police to say that his 12-year old daughter had passed away in her sleep. She had cerebral palsy. The coroner's autopsy revealed a high level of carbon monoxide in her blood.
- Robert Latimer was arrested for the murder of his daughter.
1994
- Sue Rodriguez, of British Columbia, Canada, died from an apparent lethal injection from an unnamed physician. Rodriguez had Lou Gehrig's disease and allegedly died in the arms of a Canadian Member of Parliament, Svend Robinson.
- Robert Latimer was convicted of second-degree murder of his daughter. He was sentenced to life in prison, eligible for parole in 10 years. He was let out on bail pending appeal.
1995
- After a lengthy hearing process, a Canadian Senate Committee recommended that assisted suicide and euthanasia remain illegal, but that severe penalties for some euthanasia cases be lessened.
1996
- The Liberal Party of Canada, at its convention in Ottawa, passed a resolution endorsing legalizing euthanasia.
1997
- The Canadian Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Robert Latimer because of a breach of procedure during the first trial.
- The second Robert Latimer trial began October 27 and ended in a guilty verdict, resulting in a mandatory life sentence without chance of parole for ten years. Claiming this punishment would be "cruel and unusual" under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Justice Ted Noble commuted the sentence to one year in prison and one year probation on his farm.
- Canadian officials announced that they would appeal the sentence given to Robert Latimer. Also, Toronto Dr. Maurice Genereux pled guilty to two counts of assisting a suicide. He was the first Canadian doctor to be convicted of this crime.
1998
- Dr. Maurice Genereux was sentenced to two years in prison. He also lost his medical license when first charged in March. Dr. Genereux's attorney said he would appeal.
- An appeals court in Saskatchewan, Canada reversed the lenient sentence given to Robert Latimer, who was convicted of killing his 12-year old daughter who had cerebral palsy. The unanimous decision ruled that Latimer must serve a life sentence with the chance of parole after ten years.
1999
- Robert Latimer appealed to the Canadian Supreme Court.
- The Canadian Supreme Court announced it would hear the appeal of Robert Latimer.
2001
- The Canadian Supreme Court upheld the sentence of 25 years, with a 10-year minimum before parole eligibility, for Robert Latimer.
2002
- Evelyn Martens, 71, was charged with aiding and counseling Leyanne Burchell, 52, who was a teacher from Vancouver, British Columbia, to commit suicide on June 26, 2002. Martens had previously been charged with aiding and counseling Monique Charest, 64, a former nun from Duncan, British Columbia to commit suicide on January 7, 2002. Martens was released on bail. As conditions of her bail, she has a curfew, may not be in possession of devices which can be used to commit suicide, is not allowed to have access to the Internet, and may not participate in any activities of the Right to Die Society of Canada where she is a leading member. The judge placed a publication ban on the facts concerning the deaths of Burchell and Charest.
- The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition expressed disappointment with the lack of enforcement by Canadian legal authorities concerning the production and distribution of the Exit Bag Homicide Bag by the Right to Die Society of Canada. The Exit Bag is made of heavy-duty plastic that has been designed for optimum effectiveness in killing persons who wear the bag. The Canadian made Exit Bag is distributed with an instruction booklet entitled, The Art & Science of Suicide. The Right to Die Society of Canada is involved in producing and distributing the Exit Bag on a worldwide basis.
Posted on June 26, 2004. |
