The trial of an Ontario man accused of selling lethal substances online to people who later used them to commit suicide has been postponed until next year.
Kenneth Law is now scheduled to stand trial on 14 counts of first-degree murder and assisting 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 in light of an upcoming appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in a separate case that has a “direct impact on this trial.”
The Supreme Court agreed to expedite the appeal, a move requested by prosecutors given the implications for Lu’s upcoming trial.
The Crown is appealing a ruling by the Ontario Superior Court indicating that a person may only be liable for murder if he or she provided the person who committed suicide with a lethal substance and “exaggerated the victim’s free will in choosing to commit suicide.”
Police alleged that Lu ran several websites that were used to sell sodium nitrite and other substances that can be used for self-harm, shipping them to people in more than 40 countries.
They said all the charges against him relate to the same 14 people between the ages of 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.
https://i.cbc.ca/1.7332089.1727180097!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_1180/kenneth-law.jpg?im=Resize%3D620
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