Prosecutions unlikely in cases of terminal illness or ‘severe and incurable physical disability’

From the Wall Street Journal,  New York Times, [UK] Times, BBC:

England’s top prosecutor has made it easier for people to help a terminally ill or disabled person kill themself, handing a victory to advocates of assisted suicide.

Keir Starmer, director of public prosecutions for England and Wales, issued a list of conditions under which his office would be unlikely to prosecute people who helped others commit suicide. The new guidelines sparked a vociferous public debate between supporters and opponents.

Starmer said the state will be unlikely to prosecute someone who acted out of compassion, and who helped a person who clearly wanted to die and had a terminal illness or a “severe and incurable physical disability.”

He said that prosecutions would be more likely in cases in which the victim wasn’t able to make their own decision, or was pressured, mentally disabled, or under 18 years of age; or if the person assisting the suicide was motivated by personal gain.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 7:27 pm and is filed under assisted suicide, international, law, NOT2BEMISSED. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.