Background
Having won his case in R. v. Morgentaler, abortion rights activist Henry Morgentaler planned to open an abortion clinic in Nova Scotia. The provincial government responded by passing legislation that would outlaw such clinics (as a provincial offence) and limit abortions to recognized hospitals. This regulation was not limited to abortion but also covered liposuction and other procedures; indeed, the provincial government claimed it was merely fighting the privatization of the health care system (since Morgentaler's clinics were private). The penalty set out in the legislation would be a fine of between $10,000 to $50,000. Undaunted, Morgentaler went ahead and opened his clinic, supposedly to receive potential patients for his other clinics outside Nova Scotia. Eventually, however, Morgentaler informed the press that he had indeed carried out abortions in his Nova Scotia clinic. The government charged him for this, but Morgentaler challenged the constitutionality of the law.
Read more about this topic: R. V. Morgentaler (1993)
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