Who's to Say?

Picture provided by flickr.com

A rather intriguing motion on a rather controversial topic was recently defeated in parliament. The motion was brought forward to have a study done on when life actually begins as it is defined in the criminal code. An article was published on cbc.ca detailing the motion which sited that currently in Canada life is considered to begin when a child has fully left is't mothers body, the study was intended to determine weather or not life begins before this point. This topic is a touchy one for most people as it directly leads into the discussion of abortion. Perhaps that is the biggest reason parliament voted down the study, the majority of politicians have no desire to even discuss such a topic, let alone take a definitive stand in the discussion.
Now there are plenty of opinions on the subject. Plenty of arguments both ways, leaving people to be pro choice or pro life.  I'm not here to try and make a point for one side or the other, since frankly the beliefs involved in this debate are so strongly for one side it is nearly impossible to change. Especially in a short space, such as a blog. My goal is instead to ask how much the government should truly be involved in making such a crucial decision.
Although I recognize the government's role in protecting the safety and well being of the public, I can't help but wonder how much control they should have. With such a life changing situation, there are so many different circumstances that each individual faces. It seems to me that having one broad rule that regulates every person without examining their specific situation is short sighted. In criminal cases we take each case under review individually, but only after charges are laid and it goes to court. It is never reviewed before hand for the specific case. In my mind I believe it is unjust for the government to have the power to pre determine the fate of individuals and their lives without taking into account the different circumstances of the people involved.
After seeing this motion not go through it's safe to say the government is set on not involving itself in the individuals who face this issue, but it does make me wonder if at some point they will.