Skip to main content

Proceeding contribution from Nigel Mills (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 27 March 2012. It occurred during Backbench debate on Assisted Suicide.


Assisted Suicide

The point I am trying to make is that I am not sure whether it would be right for Parliament to list a load of criteria. The feeling today appears to be that we do not think that people should be prosecuted for compassionately assisting a loved one in their free choice to end their life, but that someone should be prosecuted for maliciously encouraging or enticing someone to commit suicide when they do not really want to do so. That principle could clearly be put into statute without having to go through the individual circumstances of every situation. That would then leave the DPP free to consider in each case whether the action was compassionate or malicious. At the moment, the law says that if one assists someone to commit suicide—


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
542 c1429 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Crown Prosecution Service Aiding and abetting Euthanasia Prosecutions Suicide Purdy, Debbie
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk