Vancouver Sun
April 18, 2007
A judicial review of actions taken by Children and Family Development officials when they seized four of the surviving sextuplets born Jan. 7 so they could be given blood transfusions against the wishes of their Jehovah Witness parents has been postponed until at least July.
B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Donald Brenner had been expecting to hear affidavit evidence from the various parties during a two-day hearing beginning today. But the family’s lawyers asked Brenner to order various government officials and the doctors who performed the transfusions to appear in court so they could be cross-examined on their written testimony.
Lawyers for the provincial government, including George Copley — the province’s leading expert on Canadian constitutional issues— opposed the application and said there was no need for cross-examination of any of the affidavits.
The family’s lawyers also wanted to bring in witnesses to testify about the purported medical necessity of transfusing the infants and the parent’s contention that the blood transfusions given the surviving sextuplets were not necessary.
But Brenner said he “had enough information” in the affidavits and was concerned that allowing cross-examination would unnecessarily broaden the scope of the judicial review which is being conducted in chambers.
Two of the prematurely born babies died shortly after birth.
The four surviving children — two boys and two girls — were given one blood transfusion each. Three of the babies are now living at home with one boy still remaining in hospital but expected to be sent home soon.
Jehovah’s Witnesses oppose blood transfusions as it offends a basic tenant of their faith which teaches that God demands they “abstain from blood.”
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=bf79781c-fb1b-4ecf-abc9-5d1ee60123a8&k=47582
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