I previously discussed a case in which the petitioner wife applied for an order that her deceased husband’s sperm be removed from his body to be used for reproductive purposes by his wife. The application was dismissed.  The wife was not entitled to receive her deceased husband’s sperm for reproductive purposes because he had not provided his written consent during his lifetime. The post can be found here.

The petitioner appealed the decision and the B.C. Court of Appeal recently released their reasons for judgment dismissing the appeal at L.T. v. D.T. Estate 2020 BCCA 328. The Court of Appeal accepted that the deceased husband would have consented to the use of his reproductive material after his death if he had considered the issue during his lifetime. However, he did not provide this consent during his lifetime, and the prohibition on the removal of a person’s reproductive material without consent is criminal in nature. The legislation is clear: without the deceased person’s consent, the reproductive material cannot be used.

The Court dismissed the appeal with regret, acknowledging the painful and tragic circumstances confronting the wife. The Court granted a stay of the order for 60 days to permit the parties to consider their position on an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.