The Weekly Law Reports
[2009] 3 WLR 403
House of Lords
Regina (Purdy)
v
Director of Public Prosecutions (Society for the Protection of Unborn Children intervening)
[2009] UKHL 45
2009 June 2,
3;
July 30
July 30
Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, Lord Hope of Craighead, Baroness Hale of Richmond, Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood, Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury
Crime— Aiding and abetting— Suicide— Terminally ill claimant proposing suicide in country where assisted suicide lawful— Director of Public Prosecutions refusing to disclose factors he would take into account in deciding whether husband would be prosecuted for complicity in suicide if he assisted her to travel abroad— Convention right to respect for private life— Whether engaged— Whether statutory interference with right “in accordance with the law”— Whether Director to be required to promulgate offence-specific policy identifying facts and circumstances to be taken into account in deciding whether prosecution to be brought— Whether acts in England assisting person to travel to country where assisted suicide lawful for purpose of there committing suicide within scope of statutory offence—
Suicide Act 1961 (9 & 10 Eliz 2, c 60), s 2(1)(4)
—
Human Rights Act 1998 (c 42), Sch 1, Pt I, art 8(1)(2)