Henry Morgentaler's Impact On Society

Henry Morgentaler is a name known by many Canadians, to some he is a courageous champion of women’s rights, to many other’s he was despicable criminal guilty of one of the most heinous crimes there is: the murder of a child. One undisputable fact about Morgentaler however is that he has had a profound and long lasting impact on Canadian society. He is most famous for being one of the key players in the 1988 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that declared the law prohibiting abortion unconstitutional. Very few non-political figures have had as much of an effect on Canadian law, politics, healthcare and societal norms as Dr. Henry Morgentaler. There is much debate on whether Dr. Morgentaler’s legacy should be one of a hero to Canadian society or whether his impact has been detrimental, most likely his influence has been somewhere in between. Henry Morgentaler was born in Poland in 1923. During the Second World War, he and his family were

v Morgentaler that he waged against what he believed was an outdated law. The trial was particularly notable because it was responsible for striking down Canadian legislation surrounding abortion making it so there is absolutely no law regarding abortion. It was overturned on the fact that it violated section 1(a) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the right to life, liberty and security of the person (Hamilton). This is still the case today as there are currently no restrictions surrounding abortion in Canada, excluding several Maritime Provinces which have many societal factors stopping women from easily and cheaply accessing abortions. This would later prove to be one of the most significant and controversial decisions in Canadian law. It set Canada apart from many of our counter parts like America and Britain which even over 25 years after R. v Morgentaler still have much more restrictive laws regarding abortion