News for December 10th 2015

December 10 2015 // News

LOCAL
by Emeline Vidal

Quebec Health Minister Gaetan Barrette announced Wednesday that the province's assisted-dying law, Bill 2, will come into effect Thursday. 

According to the Toronto Sun, the Quebec court of Appeal ruled that the law may be implemented until a definitive hearing takes place on December 18th. 

Bill 2 was adopted by the national Assembly this past June, and includes guidelines on how terminally-ill people may end their lives with medical help.

The Quebec-based Coalition of Physicians for Social Justice sought an injunction barring the law from coming into effect and the Federal government was given 12 months to reply with an alternate law.

 
 
 
NATIONAL
by Saturn de Los Angeles
 

Countering the allegations against him, Senator Mike Duffy has denied that he ever broke senate rules or had motive to defraud the senate.

According to CBC News, the senator pointed the finger at his former colleague David Tkachuk for being unclear on how to properly file for claims and allowances while working in Ottawa. 

The former Conservative senator is currently under trial for allegations of using taxpayer money for his own benefit, and up to 31 charges of fraud, including a breach of trust, and bribery.

 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL
by Catlin Spencer
 
 
The copyright case for the song Happy Birthday To You has been settled outside of court.
 
According to BBC, the music company Warner/Chappel is estimated to have made roughly 2 million dollars a year in copyright royalties on the iconic birthday song for each time it was used in movies or on television. 
 
Earlier this year however, a judge ruled that the lyrics could be used without the need to pay royalties, as Warner/Chappel had only acquired the rights for the specific arrangements of music, not the song itself.
 
The terms of the agreement reached outside of court have not yet been revealed.