Britons who want to help ill or dying loved-ones commit suicide find it easier now. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, has clarified when he will prosecute for assisted suicide. However, he insists that this move in no way supports euthanasia.

This development comes after the House of Lords backed calls for clarity on whether people who help someone commit suicide should be prosecuted.

“There are no guarantees against prosecution,” stated Mr Starmer, “and it is my job to ensure that the most vulnerable people are protected while at the same time giving enough information to those people... who want to be able to make informed decisions about what actions they may choose to take.''

He added that “Assisting suicide has been a criminal offence for nearly 50 years and my interim policy does nothing to change that.”

More than 100 Britons have killed themselves at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland, but, until now, friends or relatives who accompany them have not known whether they will face prosecution when they return home.

Mr Starmer outlined 16 public interest factors in favour of prosecution and 13 factors against prosecution. He has called for comments from the public.

Some factors in favour of prosecution include that the victim was under 18 and did not ask personally on his or her own initiative for the assistance of the suspect. Another factor in favour of prosecution is that a relative "persuaded, pressured or maliciously encouraged the victim to commit suicide".

Factors against prosecution include that the victim had a "clear, settled and informed wish to commit suicide" and that the victim "indicated unequivocally to the suspect that he or she wished to commit suicide".

Will the guidelines result in more people committing assisted suicide? Mr Starmer is unsure: "Only time will tell. It may do, it may not do... Each case must be considered on its own facts and its own merits. Prosecutors must decide the importance of each public interest factor in the circumstances of each case and go on to make an overall assessment.” ~ London Telegraph, Sept 23