By Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

I have great news.

Justice Anne Kirker, on April 8, 2024, issued a stay of the injunction pending a determination of an appeal in the case of the 27-year-old autistic Calgary woman whose father has been trying to prevent her death by euthanasia (MAiD).

In other words, the woman will not be allowed to be killed by euthanasia until after the Court of Appeal makes a decision in this case. The trial is tentatively set for October 2024.

This case concerns the woman who lives with her family and has been approved for death by MAiD (euthanasia). Her father claims that, based on the law, she does not qualify to be killed by euthanasia.

This case concerns me greatly since I have an autistic son.

CBC News reported on March 12, 2024, on the Calgary court case. A father petitioned the court to prevent the euthanasia death of his daughter, who lives at home. The father stated that his daughter did not have a medical condition that qualifies under the law and yet the daughter had already been approved for death by lethal poison.

CBC News reporter Meghan Grant reported on March 25, 2024, that Justice Feasby ruled that the daughter can die by euthanasia despite her father’s concerns. Justice Feasby withdrew the temporary injunction that prevented the woman from dying by euthanasia but maintained a 30-day stay of the injunction, which gave the father time to appeal the decision.

Justice Feasby also ordered an assessment of the role of Alberta Health Services with relation to the approval of euthanasia for the daughter.

On April 2, 2024, Kevin Martin reported for the Calgary Herald [https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/father-appeals-ruling-that-allows-woman-with-autism-to-seek-medical-assistance-in-dying]that the father had appealed the decision to the Alberta Court of Appeal.

On April 8, Justice Kirker ordered a stay on the injunction to prevent the death of the autistic woman until after the appeal is heard. The exact date of the appeal is not known but will likely be heard in October.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition will seek to intervene in the Appeal.

Editor’s note. This appeared on Mr. Schadenberg blog and is reposted with permission.