Judge who legalized assisted dying in Canada is mother of ‘right to die campaigner’

The case is now considered by Britain as an example of best practice, as the British government is debating whether assisted death should be legalized.

State Supreme Court Justice Smith ruled in favor of Carter in 2012.

This sent the case to the Supreme Court of Canada, which four years later overturned laws banning assisted suicide in certain cases.

However, a request to the Supreme Court of Canada demanded that the case be thrown out due to a “web of connections” between Judge Smith and the BCCLA.

The 2019 motion was filed by Roger Foley, a disabled Ontario man who fears the legalization of assisted dying has been pushed through by biased judges.

The Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear Mr. Foley’s request on the grounds that it was not filed on time and that he was not a party to the original case.

He continues to argue against the legalization of this practice because he believes people with disabilities are unfairly targeted.

The allegations in his motion have gained new attention as Britain considers opening up its own laws.

Mr. Foley’s motion states: “The BCCLA knowingly manipulated the legal system, along with complicit judges, to make euthanasia and assisted suicide legal in Canada.

“This decision has been used to influence policy in other countries, and vulnerable people have been wrongly killed as a result.”

Sigurdson supported the legalization of assisted dying

The documents alleged that Ms. Sigurdson was working with the BCCLA around the time of the Carter case, including directly with Joseph Arvay, the group’s lead attorney.

Ms Sigurdson, who is now a High Court judge, was previously a lawyer at Arvay’s firm Arvay Finlay, and the pair worked together on numerous cases.

She also worked with Sheila Tucker, another Carter attorney.

Ms. Sigurdson publicly supported the legalization of assisted dying and once posted on Twitter calling on people to “support the right to die with dignity,” according to the legal filing.

In February 2015, she congratulated BCCLA’s legal team on its victory in the Carter case.

Judge Smith and Ms. Sigurdson declined to comment.

Britain votes on assisted dying bill

The documents came to light as MPs in Britain vote next Friday bill to legalize assisted dying.

As part of last year’s assisted dying inquiry that preceded the bill, MPs heard from Canadian experts including James Downar, a palliative care doctor in Ottawa, who cited the Carter case as a model for Britain.

The new findings raise questions about whether Canada’s path to legalizing assisted dying is a legitimate example for Britain to follow.

“The parallels between the Carter case and the current push for this (British) bill are clear,” Foley said, accusing Kim Leadbeater and Christine Jardine, who spearheaded the bill, of “recklessly pursuing their own interests , without taking into account the impact on the bill. those most at risk.”

Judge Smith served on the BCCLA board

In addition to her daughter’s work with the campaign group, Judge Smith served at various points on the BCCLA board and, from 1996 to 1997, served as president of the Law Foundation of British Columbia, the group’s largest outside fundraiser.

The Foundation gave $389,500 to the campaign group last year, its financial statements show.

The BCCLA, founded in 1962, had already published policy documents in favor of assisted dying in 1988.

Both Judge Smith and her daughter later appeared in a film about the verdict called The Death Debate, made in collaboration with the BCCLA, which appeared to celebrate the legalization of assisted dying.