Assisted dying

The law

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, assisting a suicide is a crime. Those convicted could face up to 14 years in prison. There is no specific crime of assisting a suicide in Scotland. But it is possible that helping a person to die could lead to prosecution for culpable homicide.

Why the current law does not work

The law throughout the UK prevents dying people from asking for medical help to die. People who want to control their deaths face an impossible choice. Some travel abroad to die, at great expense and often earlier than they might like. Others take their own lives at home, risking a painful and gruesome death. The law denies dying people a meaningful choice over how they die.

I just want to say a word about the current law, which puts families in the most invidious position... if someone acts out of absolute compassion, they are still left with their home being declared a crime scene and with a police investigation...That is surely an intolerable position.

Norman Lamb
Liberal Democrat MP

Prosecution policy

If someone has helped a person to die, it is up to prosecutors if they will prosecute them or not. In England and Wales, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Crown Prosecution Service decide if it is in the public interest to prosecute. Similar rules govern the Crown Office in Scotland and the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a published policy describes when a case is likely to be prosecuted. The policy distinguishes between compassionate and malicious acts. The guidelines give individuals an indication of how the law is likely to treat them, but do not provide guarantees and have not decriminalised assisted dying.

We have arrived at a position where compassionate, amateur assistance from nearest and dearest is accepted but professional medical assistance is not, unless someone has the means and physical assistance to get to Dignitas. That to my mind is an injustice that we have trapped within our current arrangement.

Sir Keir Starmer
Former Director of Public Prosecutions

Recent attempts to change the law

Landmark cases