Wednesday, December 14, 2011

UK: Pretzel Logic To Say The Law Isn't The Law For Assisted Suicide


The legal eagles in the UK are twisting their idea that assisted suicide is illegal by then offers "clarifications" that essentially mean nobody will be prosecuted. So, the law is really not the law.
Q&A: Assisted suicide
The director of public prosecutions has set out new guidelines on assisted suicide.
Keir Starmer has already published draft advice, but has now updated that following a public consultation. He has said he hopes his intervention will bring greater clarity to the thorny issue of prosecution.
Why has he taken action?
Law Lords ruled last summer that there was a need for greater clarity after hearing an appeal from someone with multiple sclerosis.
Debbie Purdy, from Bradford, had gone to the House of Lords after losing her court case seeking clarification on whether her husband would be prosecuted if he helped her go abroad to die.
Her legal team argued that the DPP had acted illegally by not providing guidance on how decisions over prosecutions were made.
They agreed, saying she deserved to have some information about what was taken into account in such cases.
However, Mr Starmer was not asked to change the law - indeed he does not have the power to do that. more

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