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Written question asked by David Drew (Labour) on Thursday, 26 January 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 31 January 2006. It was answered by Fiona Mactaggart (Labour) on Tuesday, 7 February 2006 on behalf of the Home Office.


Prosecutions (Suicide)

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought under section 2(1) of the Suicide Act 1961 in each year since 1976.
Answer

Data from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform shows the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for aiding or abetting suicide under section 2 of the Suicide act 1961 in England and Wales from 1976 to 2004.

Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences of ‘Aiding Suicide', England and Wales, 1976–2004(22)
Total proceeded against
1976
1977 2
1978
1979
1980 1
1981 4
1982 2
1983 2
1984 1
1985
1986 1
1987 2
1988 1
1989 5
1990 11
1991 1
1992 4
1993 3
1994
1995 3
1996 3
1997 4
1998 1
1999 2
2000 4
2001 2
2002 2
2003 3
2004 3
Note: These data are provided on the principal offence basis Source: RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform
(22) An offence under the Suicide Act 1961, sec.2(1)

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
47509; 442 c1113-4W;442 c1113-4W
Session
2005-06
Subjects
Euthanasia Prosecutions Suicide
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk