Assisted suicide victory for Purdy
Updated on 30 July 2009
After years of struggle, multiple sclerosis sufferer Debbie Purdy wins her case in the House of Lords on assisted suicide.
46-year-old Debbie Purdy is considering going to Switzerland with her husband to end her life, and is worried her spouse could be prosecuted after returning home.
Now Britain's highest court has said the Director of Public Prosecutions must spell out how he'd decide whether to prosecute or not.
Ms Purdy said she was "ecstatic" at the decision, adding: "I feel like I have my life back.
"I want to live my life to the full, but I don't want to suffer unnecessarily at the end of my life."
The 46-year-old who's married to Cuban violinist Omar Puente, took her case to the House of Lords after the High Court and Court of Appeal ruled that it was for Parliament, not the courts, to change the law.
"This decision means that I can make an informed choice, with Omar, about whether he travels abroad with me to end my life because we will know exactly where we stand.
"I am grateful to the Law Lords for listening and rising to the challenge that this case presented."
Five Law Lords unanimously backed her call for a policy statement from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
"I am eagerly awaiting the DPP's policy publication so that we can make an informed decision to make sure what we do does not risk prosecution.
Giving judgment in Ms Purdy's case today, Lord Hope, sitting with Lords Phillips, Brown and Neuberger and Baroness Hale, said it was no part of the Law Lords' function to decriminalise assisted suicide.
Strong arguments for and against the amendment were heard at the recent debate of the amendment proposal by former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer.
But the DPP should be required to set out an "offence-specific policy" identifying the facts and circumstances that he would take into account in deciding whether it was in the public interest to prosecute under the Suicide Act.
Helping someone to commit suicide is punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment.
