標題: Insite allowed to stay open [打印本頁] 作者: tiffiant 時間: 2011-9-30 07:33 標題: Insite allowed to stay open
Insite allowed to stay open
Supreme Court rules in favour of supervised injection site
News1130 Staff Sep 30, 2011 06:54:03 AM
9 Related Stories
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - It's a celebration of historic proportions after years of fighting fierce opposition which included the federal government.
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled Vancouver's supervised injection site, Insite, can stay open. Outside the facility on East Hastings, a crowd of several hundred supporters roared in a simultaneous cheer when the decision was handed down. It was broadcast live on a big TV set up on the sidewalk.
The crowd is thrilled with the high court's decision.
"This is a really positive, fantastic day for public health in Canada," says Vancouver City Councillor Kerry Jang. "Insite is really the very first rung to getting people off the street. These are the most desperate folks, and this is the only way they're going to get health care."
The crowd comprises of more than just politicians and interest groups; there are addicts, nurses, and neighbours who call the Downtown Eastside home.
"Just knowing that people have somewhere to be safe, it makes the neighbourhood better, healthier, and more inclusive for everyone," says one woman.
One man wiped away tears of relief, describing this as the heart of harm-reduction, calling it a new beginning for Insite.
Can the federal government go further in the courts?
Opponents of Insite are at the end of the road, legally. News1130 Legal Analyst Michael Shapray says the fight is over for the federal government in the courts.
"This appears to be a very strongly-worded decision, ordering the minister to grant the exemption. It's a unanimous court; they all have come down and said the issue is such that there is no real discretion on this issue for the minister. The exemption must be granted."
Can Parliament come back with anything at all against Insite? "It wouldn't appear to," Shapray explains. "They seem to say that there would be no Section 1 justification or limitation for it."
"If parliament tried to legislate away from the ability to have this, it would seem to be that the courts would not approve of that at this stage. It would be hard to see how parliament could get around it. Though, it should be noted that this decision is quite contrary to the stance that the government's taking in their new crime bill with respect to drugs and law and order versus viewing anything as a health issue at all."作者: tiffiant 時間: 2011-9-30 07:34
Criminologist hopes this ends controversy
An local criminologist calls today a very satisfying day that could prompt more health initiatives to proceed in the future.
"After the crime bill and all of the relatively crazy things the Harper government have been doing in respect to illegal drug use... to see the Supreme Court of Canada step up is what is preeminent here," says SFU's Neil Boyd.
He hopes this will end the controversy. "The Conservatives really don't have any traction with this and I would suspect that their efforts would probably be put in to trying to stop these facilities from popping up elsewhere."
