Hurrah! Law Lords unanimously back Debbie Purdy (assisted suicide case)

[edam]

she sounded sooooo happy on the news, was lovely to hear her excitement

[PortBlacksandResident]

Thank goodness for common sense.

[edam]

I do hope the DPP responds generously and not in a grudging fashion.

Of course it's enormously difficult and there have to be protections to avoid anyone being coerced, but it is a striking anomaly that suicide is not a crime but assisting a suicide is.

Comes down to the fundamental right to self-determination IMO - people have the right to decide to kill themselves.

[edam]

(Well done those Law Lords, btw!)

[sassy]

Oh good.

About time.

[wb]

edam - I agree with you, but actually all Debbie has asked for is to have the law clarified. Imagine having to fight so hard just for that.

[Frasersmum123]

This is the best news I have heard in a long time, I saw her on Sky today and she looked so relieved.

[edam]

yes, I know, wb. Was just mentioning some of the stuff that surrounds the case, rather than the strict legal turning point.

I can see the DPP might have thought it was preferable to leave it as a grey area, with each decision made on the facts of the relevant case. A clear policy risks being too harsh, either 'we will uphold the law and prosecute anyone who accompanies people to Switzerland' or the abolition of assisting suicide as a crime - which would risk people being coerced.

But in fact all that does is leave people like Debbie Purdy twisting in the wind, facing the horrible prospect of having to journey and die among strangers, or equally horrible prospect of risking her husband's freedom.