Health, Harm Reduction and the Law

In May, 2011, the Supreme Court of Canada was set to hear the Federal Government's Appeal of the decision to allow the Insite supervised injection facility to continue to operate. On the evening of May 17th, the Pivot Legal Society, the SFU Woodwards Community Engagement Office and moderator Donald MacPherson conducted a forum exploring what this case is all about and what the Supreme Court's decision will mean for people living with addictions and for the future of Canadian drug policy. The presentation included footage straight from the courtroom in Ottawa. Attendees heard from Monique Pongracic-Speier, lawyer on the case and a representative from Insite. Dr. Thomas Kerr of the Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and Maxine Davis, Executive Director of the Dr. Peters Aids Foundation offeedr an assessment of the health impacts of this decision. Plaintiff Dean Wilson reflected on his journey through the court process and Downtown Eastside activists Bud Osborn and Dave Murray talked about what the fight for a legal supervised injection facility has meant to them and their community.