SURREY UNION OF DRUG USERS CELEBRATES DULF’S VICTORY IN BC SUPREME COURT!
Surrey, BC – On September 29th, the BC Supreme Court found the criminal law used to arrest and convict DULF co-founders Jeremy Kalicum and Eris Nyx unconstitutional. Justice Catherine Murray found that part of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) "unjustifiably infringes" on ss 7 and 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and deprives DULF members the "right to life and security of the person." This means that Justice Murray recognized safe supply to be a lifesaving measure that should be available to all, and that the DULF compassion club did not have any negative impacts on public health or safety. This is an incredible win and a major step forward for human rights in Canada. Members of the Surrey Union of Drug Users (SUDU) thank Jeremy, and Eris from the bottom of our hearts for their life saving work in bringing awareness to the toxic drug crisis and advancing drug user rights.
Starting in 2020, after watching too many community members die, DULF began to combat the unsafe supply by creating their own compassion club. Their approach was rooted in evidence-based research, empathy, and care. Drugs were purchased with publicly sourced donations, tested for purity, and then distributed to 47 compassion club members, all of whom were current drug users. Throughout the duration of the program, there were zero overdoses amongst compassion club members. In 2023, after political pressure, the VPD raided the DULF storefront and arrested Eris and Jeremy, despite being informed of their operation since its conception. In 2025, Jeremy and Eris were found guilty on three counts of possession for the purposes of trafficking. In the September 29th verdict, the Court issued a “stay of proceedings” against Kalicum and Nyx, which means that no convictions will be entered against them and they cannot be prosecuted again for the DULF compassion club activities which were the subject of this court case.
In her verdict, Justice Murray highlighted that a non-medicalized safer supply program is urgently needed in order to save lives. What does this mean for the future of safe supply and compassion clubs? Currently, carceral bureaucracy is designed to punish, exhaust and harm drug users. Choosing whether people live or die is political, and yet it is constantly overlooked in legislation. DULF’s victory re-affirms the importance of breaking unjust laws, and demonstrates the critical need for safe supply. If we want to stop toxic drug related deaths, we need to start by listening to those it affects the most: people who use drugs!
