Sentencing hearing begins for Kenneth Law, who sold substances used for suicide

A sentencing hearing is set to begin for Kenneth Law, an individual from Mississauga, Ontario, who sold substances online that have been used in suicides. Law, a former chef, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of aiding suicide in the deaths of 14 individuals in Ontario, including minors. The charges against him stemmed from over 1,200 packages sent to over 40 countries, with nearly $290,000 in sales deposited in his accounts between January 2020 and mid-May 2023.

Law was also aware that the buyers of his products were likely to use them for suicide and occasionally commented on a forum where people discussed using certain substances for this purpose. In 2023, a reporter from the Times of London, posing as a potential customer, confronted Law about deaths in the U.K. linked to his business.

Despite facing charges related to Canadian victims, 79 deaths in the U.K. connected to the products Law sold were also part of the case. The trial was delayed to allow Canada's top court to rule on a pivotal issue, which eventually prevented a murder charge from being pursued. If convicted, Law faces up to 14 years in prison, and loved ones of those who died can share how Law's actions affected them during the hearing.