A Right to Assist? Assisted Dying and the Interim Policy

There are few more controversial, or emotive, debates within the criminal law than that which surrounds the topic of euthanasia, questioning as it does the fundamental role of the law in regulating the most intimate aspects of a person's life and death. The acknowledgement by the courts (notably in the cases of Diane Pretty and Debbie Purdy) that this area engages a person's rights under the European Convention on Human Rights exacerbates the urgency of the problem, and further nuances the debate as to the extent to which the autonomy of the person is impinged upon, and whether this is a function legitimately exercised by the state. In the wake of the announcement of new guidelines for prosecution in cases of assisted suicide, this article examines the state of the law regarding assisted suicide in England and Wales, and the fragile position of euthanasia within the criminal law. It will look to the various, and often rights-based, challenges to the law, and in particular a potential challenge through Article 7 of the European Convention on Human Rights.