Right-to-die campaigner welcomes suicide law guidelines

Debbie Purdy, the Multiple Sclerosis-sufferer from Bradford who won a High Court battle last year to force yesterday's announcement, said she could now "get on with her life" in the belief her husband – Cuban musician Omar Puente – would probably not face jail if she ever requires help ending her life.

Prosecutors were quick to warn, however, that assisted suicide remains a crime and no-one is guaranteed immunity.

But Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer said his new guidelines should give a clearer idea of the circumstances under which the Crown would choose to prosecute someone.

"The policy does not change the law on assisted suicide. It does not open the door for euthanasia. It does not override the will of Parliament. What it does is provide a clear framework for prosecutors to decide which cases should proceed to court and which should not."

Mr Starmer produced interim guidelines on the issue last September, before launching a massive consultation exercise to gauge public opinion.

Following nearly 5,000 responses Mr Starmer has made significant changes to his policy, switching its focus from the circumstances of the suicidal person to the motivation of the person assisting them.

The extent of the "victim's" illness or disability has been removed from his list of points to be taken into account, as has the issue of whether or not the two were close friends or relatives.

Instead, the key factor will be whether the suspect was truly acting out of compassion when helping the person kill themself.

Ms Purdy, 46, said she believed the balance was broadly right.

"Keir Starmer has done the important thing, which is to differentiate between compassionate and malicious intent. He has focused on the reasons why, the intentions of the assister, and I think that's really important.

"It has been made clear that if somebody has malicious intent they will face prosecution, and if someone has compassionate intent they will not."

But Ms Purdy said a new law is still required to make assisted suicide legal in certain circumstances so a tribunal can decide beforehand if assistance is appropriate.

Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris, agreed and said: "The law needs to be changed by Parliament. No guidelines will ever be able to distinguish, with the clarity needed, between compassionate assistance to relieve terminal suffering of competent adults, and wicked assisted suicide of the mentally ill."