Nationality Canadian | Name Sue Rodriguez | |
 | ||
Born August 2, 1950 ( 1950-08-02 ) Winnipeg, Manitoba Died February 12, 1994, Victoria, Canada | ||
Wendy Crewson On Why We Need More Canadian Television
Sue Rodriguez (August 2, 1950 – February 12, 1994) was a Canadian advocate of assisted suicide.
Contents
- Wendy Crewson On Why We Need More Canadian Television
- Choices in dying victoria chris considine and the memory of sue rodriguez
- Related
- References
She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with the given name Sue Shipley, and grew up in Thornhill, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. Her first marriage was short-lived.
Rodriguez, who lived in Victoria, British Columbia, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in early 1991. She fought to have a legal right to assisted suicide; under the Criminal Code, assisted suicide is punishable by a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. She took her cause to the Supreme Court of Canada, but ultimately lost the battle. On September 30, 1993, in what would become a landmark decision, Rodriguez v. British Columbia (Attorney General), the SCC held 5-4 against her.
In 1994, she decided to take her own life with the help of an anonymous physician. Svend Robinson, a New Democratic Party MP who had campaigned her cause, was also present.
A 1998 film called At the End of the Day: The Sue Rodriguez Story, with Wendy Crewson as Rodriguez, tells her story.
Choices in dying victoria chris considine and the memory of sue rodriguez
Related
