Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Elystan-Morgan (Crossbench). It was answered on Tuesday, 20 October 2009.

Assisted Suicide: House of Lords Judgment

Question: My Lords, does the Minister not agree that there is a faint irony in that, in the case of Purdy, the director through his learned counsel argued most strongly against the issuing of any specific guidelines? Furthermore, does the Minister agree that central to the whole question of the exercise of formal criteria in relation to prosecution is a rigorous and wide-searching inquiry of investigation into each individual case? In those circumstances, will additional personnel with adequate expertise and experience, be they in the police service or in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, be appointed to carry out this massive task?

Answer: My Lords, I cannot say that that will necessarily happen, although I can say that the director has done what he was asked to do by the House of Lords Judicial Committee—that is, to draw up guidelines both for and against prosecution. He did that within two months of the judgment of the House of Lords Judicial Committee and he is to be applauded for doing so.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 713 c563
Session: 2008-09
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Crown Prosecution Service House of Lords Euthanasia Judgements Prosecutions Purdy, Debbie
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk