Consultation: Assisting suicide
Publication of the DPP Assisted Suicide Guidelines
Comment from the Archbishop of Cardiff
25 February 2010
“I welcome the revised Guidelines published by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) this morning. He was given a near impossible task by the Law Lords and many people were extremely concerned by the wording of the interim guidelines and some of the factors to be taken into account against prosecution.
“In issuing these Guidelines it is clear that the DPP has listened very carefully to, and taken account of, the many representations made to him during the consultation. Our particular concerns were that the interim Guidelines gave less protection under the law to disabled or seriously ill people, and to those who had a history of suicide attempts and were likely to try again. There also appeared to be a presumption that a spouse or close relative would always act simply out of compassion and never from selfish motives. These factors have been removed from the new Guidelines which now give greater protection to some of the most vulnerable people in our society. There is also a greater stress on the fact that the law has not changed, that all cases will be investigated and that no one is being given immunity from prosecution under these Guidelines.”
The Most Reverend Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff
Chair of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales Department of Responsibility and Citizenship
Link
Policy for Prosecutors in Respect of Cases of Encouraging or Assisting Suicide
An important public consultation about when cases of ‘assisted suicide’ will be prosecuted took place late 2009.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the Crown Prosecution Service issued ‘interim guidelines’ about when to prosecute people who assist in a person's suicide.
The consultation closed on 16 December 2009. Below you will find the Bishops' submission and the original material we uploaded giving background to the consultation and in-depth information for those who were able to respond.
Bishops' response to the DPP consultation
The Bishops of England and Wales have responded to the DPP's assisting suicide consultation.
Read/download
Bishops' submission to DPP assisting suicide consultation (pdf)
Bishops' submission to DPP assisting suicide consultation (MS Word)
Briefing note on the Bishops’ response to the DPP guidelines (MS Word)
An important consultation on ‘assisting suicide’
There is an important consultation taking place about when cases of ‘assisted suicide’ will be prosecuted. The law on ‘assisting suicide’ has not changed but the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has issued ‘interim guidelines’ about when to prosecute people who do it. We have until 16 December 2009 to respond.
The current interim guidelines are defective in some important ways and it is essential that as many people as possible concerned about safeguarding the value of life should say what they think.
What is the current law on suicide?
There is no law against seeking to take your own life. However, it is a serious offence to aid, abet, counsel or procure someone else’s suicide (sometimes called ‘assisting suicide’). Suicide is a terrible act and typically the act of a desperate person. Those contemplating suicide should be treated with compassion, but suicide should never be promoted or assisted. Assisting suicide is not a ‘victimless crime’. It leaves someone dead.
Has the law changed?
The law on ‘assisting suicide’ has not changed but the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has issued ‘interim guidelines’ about when to prosecute people who do it. Until 16 December you have the chance to comment, before the guidelines become permanent.
Why is it important to respond?
It is important to respond because the guidelines are defective. If they are not changed, then there is a real danger that this will be the turning point which could bring about the legalisation of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Pro-euthanasia groups will already be studying these guidelines to see how to use them to promote suicide.
Please click to read more about the guidelines before moving on.
Click on the links below to navigate:
Archbishop Peter Smith's video message
Archbishop Peter Smith is the Archbishop of Cardiff and Chair of the Department for Christian Responsibility and Citizenship of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.
In this video message, Archbishop Smith discusses the Director of Public Prosecutions' consultation on assisting suicide and how Catholics in England and Wales can respond.
"It’s a criminal offence to assist someone’s suicide and there are serious penalties for anyone who is convicted of that crime. The result is that we don’t see many cases in this country: the law as it stands deters most people from doing it...
"The Director of Public Prosecutions has issued draft guidelines setting out what circumstances will incline him to prosecute or not to prosecute in cases of assisted suicide. Though it’s clearly unintended, the overall effect of these guidelines is to provide those who are tempted to assist someone to commit suicide with pointers as to how they can avoid being prosecuted. And some of the circumstances themselves are just plain objectionable.
“The Director of Public Prosecutions is having a public consultation and we have until 16 December to make our views known. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference will, of course, be responding but it's also extremely important that as many people as possible give their own individual response."
Text
Assisting suicide consultation: Archbishop Peter Smith's message (pdf)
Download the form to respond
Consultation document and form
Click here to open the consultation document from the webpage of the Crown Prosecution Service. The first six pages set out the guidelines and the questions start on page 7.
If you right click on the link above and select "save link as" or "save target as" you will be able to download the form in Microsoft Word to your own PC. This will make it easier to email your submission.
Please click to read more about filling out the form before completing your response.
How to submit your response
After you have filled out the form save it and either:
1) email it to: assistedsuicide.consultation@cps.gsi.gov.uk
or
2) Print it out and post it to the following address:
Assisted Suicide Policy Team
Crown Prosecution Service Headquarters - 6th floor
50 Ludgate Hill
London
EC4M 7EX
Crown Prosecution Service
Click here or on the image above to visit the consultation pages of the Crown Prosecution Service's website.
Care Not Killing
Click here or on the image above to visit the website of the Care Not Killing Alliance.