Pubdate: Sat, 20 Jun 2015
Source: Nanaimo Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Nanaimo Daily News
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1608
Author: Gerald Hall
Page: A4

TOP COURT HAS STYMIED TORY LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS

I can only hope the outrage of Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose 
with the Supreme Court of Canada's recent bizarre and irresponsible 
ruling on medical marijuana is echoed across this country.

The unanimous decision expands the definition of "medical marijuana" 
beyond dried leaves to include cannabis oils, teas, brownies and 
numerous other forms of the drug.

Since when does an unelected group of judges have the right to usurp 
the authority of our Ministry of Health, the only body qualified to 
decide on what is and what is not medicine, and ignore the rigorous 
and proper procedure of scientific research in such an important 
decision affecting the health of millions of Canadians? The top court 
in the land has deliberately closed their eyes to the fact that 
cannabis has never been scientifically proven to be a safe medicine.

Of late, there have been a rising number of respected columnists who 
have not been shy to justifiably criticize the The Supreme Court. It 
is high time the blind and slavish adulation of this group of nine 
unelected judges is challenged. The mythical idea that this court is 
never wrong and beyond criticism is outdated well beyond a safe expiry date.

This is the court that ruled Canada's common sense prostitution laws 
are "unconstitutional." This is the court that out of personal bias 
and good use of ambiguity ruled Justice Marc Nadon to be not 
qualified to sit on the high court. This is the court that in their 
"infinite wisdom" gave convicted criminals one-and-a-half days off 
their sentence for every day they spend in pre-trial custody. This is 
the "compassionate" court which thoughtlessly ruled to strike down 
the ban against euthanasia in Canada with little or no thought for 
the fears of our elderly.

So how is it that a court that is supposed to properly interpret and 
enforce laws has such a high opinion of themselves that they have 
taken to making laws?

We can't vote out the top court like we can bad governments but maybe 
it is time to bring things back into balance with a tool left called 
the "notwithstanding" clause.

Gerald Hall Nanoose
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom