The trial of an Ontario man accused of selling lethal substances online to people who later used it to take their own lives has been pushed back to next year.
Kenneth Law is now set to stand trial on 14 counts each of first-degree murder and aiding suicide starting in January 2026, with the proceedings expected to last eight weeks.
His trial was initially set 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 prosecution.”
The Supreme Court has agreed to expedite the appeal, a move that had been requested by prosecutors given the implications for Law’s upcoming trial.
The Crown is appealing a ruling by Ontario’s top court that suggests a person may only be liable for murder if they provided a person who committed suicide with the lethal substance and “overbore the victim’s freewill in choosing suicide.”
Police have alleged that Law ran several websites that were used to sell sodium nitrite and other items that can be used for self-harm, shipping them to people in more than 40 countries.
They have said all charges against him relate to the same 14 people, who were 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.