A ban placed on doctor assisted suicide was placed in Canada in 1993. Feb. 6 marks a rewrite of the law as the Supreme Court of Canada has decided to overrule this decision today.

In Oct. 1993 The Rodriguez Case, Sue Rodriguez, a woman suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), challenged the supreme court in an appeal to let her end her life. Even though it would be doctor-assisted, it is still suicide, a criminal offence, so the court dismissed the appeal in a five to four decision.

Today, Feb. 6, the top court over-turned the decision in an unanimous vote. The new law is for consenting adults suffering from an unrecoverable medical condition, although it does not need to be fatal. The new regulation will go into effect in 12 months.

Physician assisted suicide is the voluntary decision to end one’s life with the help of a doctor. The doctor oversees the death and helps either directly, or indirectly in the suicide by providing fatal medicine to the patient who has the intention to end their life.

Physician assisted suicide is an extremely controversial topic. One argument in favor is people should have the right to life or death without government interference. Patients suffering are in pain, being hooked up to several medical devices and being a burden to their families. A physician assisted suicide will help those suffering when it is the right time to go, and the suicide will be easier to regulate and monitor the death.

People against euthanization argue that the hippocratic oath, an oath that describes obligations and appropriate conduct for doctors, states that doctors should not do any harm to their patients. Others claim in the case of religion. Most religions believe that God gives life and should be the only one to take it away. Also, the cost of life-ending drugs could save lots of money, making it easier for a physician or insurance company to refuse care, due to high costs of medical treatment. Also, some people may be suffering from depression, which questions whether or not the patient is competent enough to make the decision.

Although still a questionable act, the Supreme Court of Canada has decided to overrule their decision from 1993 due to an unjust violation on Canadian’s constitutional rights.