Following a number of e-mails overnight, mostly about the discrepancies in
the law about assisted suicides in the UK and Switzerland and also the
uncertainty about the legal position of people who have travelled to
Dignitas to assist compared with those conducted at home, it is important to
make clear that Debbie Purdy won the right to a clarification of the law. It
does not change the law on assisted suicide, which is illegal in this
country and carries a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment, though no
one in the 117 cases has yet been prosecuted. The DPP, Keir Starmer, has
promised this clarification by September and has said that it must apply
worldwide.
A change in the law -- and it seems that this is what the majority of the
population want, since The Times survey found 74% in favour and the Royal
College of Nursing has taken a "neutral" position -- could only follow vote
in the House of Commons and this is why it is so important that you make
your wishes known. There are still many who will be opposed, mostly on
religious grounds or the ethics of their profession. If you don't write to
tell them, they won't know the level of opinion for and against. This is why
it is so important.
There is no one, on any side of the argument, who doesn't think it is a mess
but while people (especially the House of Lords) dither, there will be those
you will have read about who have gone to Dignitas and/or those caught up in
legal tangle, like Mark & Julie James (parents of rugby-playing Daniel),
Debbie Purdy and now Kay Gilderdale. And more will follow until we settle
the matter in law.
Please do not delay. Write today.
Love & best wishes
John
PERMISSION TO FORWARD, RE POST AND USE IN NEWSLETTERS FOR MAXIMUM EFFECT
Following the death of her beloved daughter, Lynn, for whom she cared for 17
years, Kay Gilderdale has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting suicide,
though not guilty to attempted murder and another count of aiding and
abetting attempted suicide.
Regrettably, the Crown Prosecution lawyer declined the invitation of Judge
Richard Brown to drop the charges because he said it was not in the public
interest and a trial is scheduled for 12 January 2010.
The Crown Prosecution Service, however, could choose to drop the case at any
time.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, QC, did intervene in the
case against Mark and Julie James, the parents of Daniel James, the rugby
player who sustained dreadful injuries and wished to die.
Since MS sufferer Debbie Purdy won her case in the House of Lords for
clarification of the law about assisted suicides, it would be an appropriate
time to write to the DPP with your views about assisted suicides and appeal
for his intervention in the case against Kay. May I suggest that you
emphasise that you do not wish to discuss anything about the case, since it
is before the courts but just plead that the DPP intervenes to have the case
dropped. Since there will have to be a debate in the House of Commons before
any change in the law, you should copy your letter to your MP.
My appeal is for at least one person in each of the 650 constituencies to
write, in order to reach every MP and maximise support for Kay.
The address for letters is
Keir Starmer, QC,
The Director of Public Prosecutions
Crown Prosecution Service
50 Ludgate Hill
London
EC4M 7EX
You can find your MP here http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/
The Postal Address is
Name of your MP
MP for Your Constituency
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
(Your letter will reach your MP even when the House is not sitting)
If you wish to make your support public and to encourage others to follow
your example, please forward it to me and we shall put it on a section on
our website with all the others who do the same.
There is also a page on Facebook called Prosecuting Kay Gilderdale is NOT in
the PUBLIC interest
Click here
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=103575747984&ref=ts
Will you do it now? I can't think of anything more important just now.
Love & best wishes
John
drjohngreensmith@mefreeforall.org
Dr John H Greensmith
ME Free For All. org
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