Mullock Alexandra
Centre for Social Ethics and Policy, Institute for Science, Ethics, and Innovation, School of Law, University of Manchester.
Med Law Rev. 2010 Winter;18(4):442-70. doi: 10.1093/medlaw/fwq027.
The decision of the House of Lords in the case of Purdy compelled the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to promulgate guidance as to the exercise of prosecutorial discretion with respect to those suspected of an offence under the Suicide Act 1961. Consequently, the Policy for Prosecutors in Respect of Cases of Encouraging or Assisting Suicide now sets out determining factors for potential culpability in encouraging or assisting suicide. This paper discusses the implications of the Policy, particularly with respect to the role of compassion as a key determining factor which effectively decriminalises acts of assisting or encouraging suicide in the majority of cases, despite such acts remaining technically criminal. Following the DPP's assertion that the location of the actual suicide is irrelevant to the prosecutorial decision, this article considers whether some elements of the Policy might belie this assertion. The apparently heightened risk of prosecution now faced by doctors and other healthcare professionals and workers is also considered. Finally, in light of the apparent prosecutorial endorsement of compassionate assisted suicide, this article questions whether we might now expect the imminent legalisation of assisted suicide.
上议院在珀迪案中的裁决迫使检察总长发布了关于对涉嫌违反1961年《自杀法案》的人行使检察自由裁量权的指导意见。因此，《检察官关于鼓励或协助自杀案件的政策》现在规定了鼓励或协助自杀潜在罪责的决定因素。本文讨论了该政策的影响，特别是关于同情作为关键决定因素的作用，这一因素在大多数情况下实际上使协助或鼓励自杀行为非罪化，尽管此类行为在技术上仍属犯罪。在检察总长断言实际自杀地点与检察决定无关之后，本文考虑该政策的某些要素是否与这一断言相矛盾。还考虑了医生及其他医疗保健专业人员和工作者目前面临的明显更高的被起诉风险。最后，鉴于检察方面对出于同情的协助自杀的认可，本文质疑我们现在是否可以预期协助自杀即将合法化。
