Dr. Henry Morgantaler dead at age 90

Dr. Henry Morgentaler, the man who helped overturn Canada’s abortion law 25 years ago, has died at his Toronto home. He was 90. Morgantaler’s long journey to legalize abortion may be seen on Wikipedia. But it may be said that his four court battles in Quebec and Ontario provided the foundation for legal abortion in Canada.  In particular, these trials resulted in jury acquittals for Morgantaler in defiance of the criminal law of the day and the direction of the courts. The decisions effectively undercut any legislation that sought to restrict abortion by showing that the law could not be enforced.