The first and perhaps most important front of the debate is the legal

There is no special provision for euthanasia just because it is a special category of murder based on a motive of compassion. Therefore, legally, Euthanasia is considered murder, plain and simple. Suicide, however, is not a criminal offence. The bottom line is individuals who are physically able to end their own lives may do so legally in Canada, and those who are physically challenged and need physical assistance may not. While the Code is strict in its letter, actual cases of people being convicted after carrying out euthanasia or assisted suicide have been extremely rare in Canada. Although they were rare, the few cases related to euthanasia that did take place in court all upheld the laws mentioned above and at the same time sparked controversy and debate, creating a climate for legal change.

"241. Everyone who counsels a person to commit suicide or aids or abets a person to commit suicide, whether suicide ensues or not, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years."

"14. No person is entitled to consent to have death inflicted on him, and such consent does not affect the criminal responsibility of any person by whom death may be inflicted on the person by whom consent is given.

Perhaps two of the most widely discussed cases relating to euthanasia in Canada would be the Sue Rodriguez and Robert Latimer cases. On September 30, 1993, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against Sue Rodriguez, ending her lengthy fight for the right to doctor-assisted suicide. Sue Rodriguez suffered from Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a debilitating disease that attacks the central nervous system, eventually causing death. The Rodriguez case attracted national attention and opened a debate that would last for decades. The sensitive nature of the issue was underlined on October 24, 1993 when Robert Latimer intentionally killed his 12-year-old daughter, Tracy, with carbon monoxide in the cab of his truck. Tracy suffered from severe palsy and could not talk, walk, or take care of herself. At the time of her death she weighed 38 pounds. At his trial, her father maintained that he had ended his daughter’s life out of compassion. Despite his defence that he killed her out of “necessity” the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench found him guilty of second-degree murder and made him ineligible for parole for 10 years. These two cases are perfect examples of the courts’ position on euthanasia. The media and public at the time all felt that the laws were unfair and should have been changed. At this time, the Law Reform Commission recommended that the Criminal Code of Canada be changed to protect doc

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