The trial of an Ontario man accused of selling lethal substances online to people he later used to take their own lives has been pushed back to next year.
Kenneth Law is now to stand trial on 14 counts each of first-degree murder and assisted suicide starting in January 2026, with the proceedings expected to last eight weeks.
His trial was scheduled to begin in September but court documents say it was postponed this week due to an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in a separate case that has “ direct effect on this charge.
The Supreme Court has agreed to expedite the appeal, a move requested by prosecutors because of the implications of the upcoming legal proceedings.
The Crown is appealing a decision by Ontario's top court which suggests that a person may only be liable for murder if they provided a deadly substance to a person who killed himself and “overrode the free- the will of the victim in choosing suicide. “
Police have said Law ran a number of websites used to sell sodium nitrite and other substances that can be used for self-harm, sending them to people in more than 40 countries.
They have said that all the charges against him relate to the same 14 people, who were between 16 and 36.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, support is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988, Canada's national suicide prevention helpline.
