UK Parliament should clarify law on traveling abroad for assisted suicide of family member Commentary
UK Parliament should clarify law on traveling abroad for assisted suicide of family member
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Jo Cartwright [Campaigns and Press Officer, Dignity in Dying]: "We are pleased that Debbie Purdy's appeal has gone some way to clarify the law for her. The Appeals Court was able to go further than the High Court did in stating that the principles in the judgment given by the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Daniel James case would also apply if Debbie were to go to Switzerland accompanied by her husband Omar, and therefore although this is not the full resolution Debbie was hoping for, she can be fairly sure that Omar wouldn't be prosecuted.

The Judgment goes on to make it clear that if someone like Omar were prosecuted for accompanying a loved one abroad to die, the courts are likely to dismiss the case or discharge them without a sentence, and question why the charge was made. This is concerning as vulnerable people who may not wish to end their lives in Switzerland could be pressured by family members who would then be unlikely to face prosecution on their return. We need a safeguarded approach to assisted dying in the UK.

It seems that the courts have gone as far as they can with this matter and now it is time for Parliament to fully engage with the issues and address the fact that this law isn't fit for its purpose. If, as the judgment suggests, there's no public interest in prosecuting, then surely there must be a public interest in updating the law to remove the doubt."

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