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plaintiffs' favour would do long-lasting damage to Canada's public healthcare system that would far outweigh the problems it purported to solve. Both sides stated publicly that the outcome of the case would have an enduring effect on the country's healthcare. The trial started in 2016 and was finally decided on
September 10, 2020. In an 880-page decision, Justice John J. Steeves of the BCSC dismissed the plaintiffs' claims. The plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal and in July 2022, the B.C. Court of Appeal upheld Justice Steeves' decision. The
108:-based private clinic Cambie Surgery Centre, challenged the sections of the province's Medicare Protection Act (MPA) that prevent private practitioners from charging patients who are enrolled in Canada's universal healthcare system for services available in that system. The lawsuit stated that the MPA was unconstitutional because it violated sections 7 ("right to life") and 15 ("equal protection") of the
217:. The third member of the panel, Justice Fenlon, held that the impugned legislative provisions deprive some patients of the right to life and security of the person, and are not in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. Therefore, according to Justice Fenlon, the provisions infringe section 7 of the Charter. However, Justice Fenlon went on to find the provisions are saved by
185:, issued an 880-page ruling in favour of the defendants. Steeves found that the plaintiffs' complaints did not show violations of sections 7 and 15 of the Canadian Charter and that the amount of suffering the plaintiffs claimed to endure did not outweigh the deleterious effects a ruling in their favour would have on the country's universal healthcare system.
171:
who opposed the plaintiffs' claim. These groups, named by
Steeves as "Patient Intervenors" and "Coalition Intervenors," were, respectively, a four-person group of non-expert citizens who said they "experienced harm while being treated by physicians engaging in dual practice and extra billing" and a
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and
Justice Harris found that the impugned provisions of the Medicare Protection Act deprive some patients of the right to life and right to security of the person, but in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. Therefore (according to the majority of the panel), the impugned
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Supporters of the lawsuit decried what they saw as a dangerous mandate that contributed to a problem of long waits for public care without consideration for urgency. The defendants' advocates argued that the lawsuit did not rise to the level of a constitutional question and that a ruling in
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Day and the plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal in early 2021 and on July 15, 2022, the B.C. Court of Appeal upheld B.C. Supreme Court
Justice John Steeves' decision that despite long waits in the public health system, there is no constitutional right to access to private health.
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The trial is known for its unusual length and complexity; it lasted just over four years and had participation from more than one hundred witnesses. It ended on
September 10, 2020 when presiding justice John J. Steeves, a judge on the
151:, which guarantees "equality rights". The lawsuit claimed that this rule can cause people to "suffer prolonged pain and disability, serious psychological harm or deterioration and irreparable harm" that could have been prevented.
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four-person group made up of two low-income citizens whose medical needs are covered by the public system and two physicians who represented two advocacy groups that promote the preservation of universal healthcare in Canada.
143:, because it forbids private providers from directly charging patients enrolled in the public system for any service that can be accessed in that system and does not permit exceptions for urgency. They emphasized
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Brian Day, a "private health-care advocate", who founded and serves as the medical director of the private clinic Cambie
Surgery Centre and Specialist Referral Clinic in
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The
Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear the case, dismissing the application for leave to appeal made by Cambie Surgeries Corporation.
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Canada's highest court will not hear an appeal from a
Vancouver-based physician ... over the right to access private care.
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would make the case's final ruling. Immediately after
Steeves handed down his ruling, Brian Day pledged to appeal it.
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A week before he issued his decision, Steeves predicted that no matter the outcome, inevitable appeals would mean the
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688:"Decision ends Dr. Brian Day's 14-year legal battle to allow patients to go private if wait times are too long"
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389:"B.C. Supreme Court rules against legalizing private health care following decade-long battle | CTV News"
722:(Report). 2020 BCSC 1310 Cambie Surgeries Corporation v. British Columbia (Attorney General). 2020-09-10
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104:, an advocate for private healthcare, against the province of British Columbia. Day, who runs the
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270:. 2020 BCSC 1310 Cambie Surgeries Corporation v. British Columbia (Attorney General). 2020-09-10
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365:"B.C. Supreme Court rules against legalizing private health care following decade-long battle"
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639:"B.C. Supreme Court rules against private healthcare in landmark case | Globalnews.ca"
601:"Health care battle in judge's hands but expected to land in Canada's top court | CBC News"
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The plaintiffs argued that
British Columbia's Medicare Protection Act (MPA) violated the
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declined to hear an appeal from the judgment of the British Columbia Court of Appeal.
745:
296:"Private Vancouver clinic loses constitutional challenge of public health-care rules"
653:"Cambie Surgeries Corporation v. British Columbia (Attorney General), 2022 BCCA 245"
576:"B.C. Supreme Court rules against legalizing private healthcare in landmark case"
136:, was the spokesman for the high-profile case, sometimes called 'The Day Case'.
147:, which protects the "right to life, liberty and security of the person" and
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Cambie Surgeries Corp. v. British Columbia (Medical Services Commission)
460:"B.C. Court of Appeal rules against doctor in private health care case"
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536:"B.C. trial over private health care could reshape Canadian medicare"
340:"Private health care battle draws to a close after a decade in B.C."
320:"Cambie Surgeries Corporation v. British Columbia – BC Injury Law"
24:
Cambie Surgeries Corporation v British Columbia (Attorney General)
556:"The Legal Attack on Public Health Care | BC Health Coalition"
599:
Feb 28, Camille Bains · The Canadian Press (2020-02-29).
268:"The Honourable Mr. Justice Steeves Reasons for Judgment"
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section 1 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
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section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
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2020 high-profile Supreme Court of British Columbia case
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The Honourable Mr. Justice Steeves Reasons for Judgment
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510:"Backgrounder: Court challenges to one-tier medicare"
431:"For-Profit Clinic Lawsuit May Transform Health Care"
669:(Press release). Supreme Court of Canada. 2023-04-06
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161:Attorney General of British Columbia
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667:"Judgments in Leave Applications"
429:Macleod, Andrew (17 April 2014).
183:Supreme Court of British Columbia
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33:Supreme Court of British Columbia
762:Canadian constitutional case law
363:Weisgarber, Maria (2020-09-10).
206:British Columbia Court of Appeal
534:Fayerman, Pamela (2016-09-01).
96:was a high-profile, multi-year
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458:Woo, Andrea (July 15, 2022).
51:September 10, 2020
752:Privatization controversies
213:provisions do not infringe
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165:Attorney General of Canada
155:Defendants and intervenors
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767:2020 in Canadian case law
516:. University of Manitoba
757:Privatization in Canada
410:"Cambie Case (ongoing)"
199:Supreme Court of Canada
118:Supreme Court of Canada
100:(BCSC) case brought by
87:Justice John J. Steeves
235:Chaoulli v Quebec (AG)
210:Chief Justice Bauman
167:, and two groups of
391:. 10 September 2020
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489:BC Medical Journal
464:The Globe and Mail
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673:2023-04-06
610:2020-09-10
585:2020-09-10
561:2020-09-10
520:2016-09-02
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435:TheTyee.ca
415:2020-09-10
395:2020-09-10
374:2020-09-10
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325:2020-09-10
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274:2020-09-11
242:References
149:section 15
124:Plaintiffs
71:Transcript
55:2020-09-10
145:section 7
130:Vancouver
106:Vancouver
102:Brian Day
74:Judgement
692:CBC News
619:cite web
469:July 15,
440:22 April
300:CBC News
228:See also
63:Citation
698:6 April
53: (
48:Decided
40:Started
193:Appeal
163:, the
35:(BCSC)
29:Court
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