DPP publishes revised guidelines on assisted suicide

Keir Starmar QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, has revised the UK policy on assisted suicide, and published the final version of the official Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidelines.

Following the consultation launched last September, the CPS reported receiving nearly 5000 responses, which Mr Starmar took into consideration when revising the policy. The new document consists of 16 public interest points in favour of prosecution, and six against, shifting the focus "to the motivation of the suspect rather than the characteristics of the victim", Starmar said last Thursday.

Contextualising the new guidelines, Starmar added: "Assessing whether a case should go to court is not simply a question of adding up the public interest factors for and against prosecution and seeing which has the greater number. It is not a tick-box exercise. Each case has to be considered on its own facts and merits."

The revised guidelines and Code for Crown Prosecutors can be read here.