NB: Little changes thanks to David comment… Hope it’s clearer.
It’s my point of view but it’s a big step toward euthanasia. The UK allows family and closed friends to help people to die. They won’t be sue in helping them to die. In France, this law doesn’t exist and people are sued if they help.
New guidelines in the UK
Big changes this week. Thanks to Mrs Purdy. Debbie Purdy suffers from sclerosis and asked to the law lords the right to die with dignity and she also asked that her husband was not sued. The court has decided to accept at certain conditions. “If it’s a clear wish, definitive and thought to suicide”, if the patient suffers from an non curable disease, and if he asks to a a closed friend or family to help him to die. With all of that, no one can be sue. Before that law, a person who helped another one to die could be put in prison for 14 years.
Debbie Prudy
In France, NOTHING has change
Dignitas clinic
Last year we talked a lot about that because of Chantal Sébire. A woman who couldn’t survive from a brain tumor and suffered a lot. Like Debbie Purdy she tried to fight to change the law, she wrote the president. But nothing change. A commission of MP and experts is created but nothing come up really.
It’s a bit weird for me convinced that euthanasia is legitimate. And on top of that, in France, country of freedom, country of human rights, country of intellectuals, where people have often been in advance in term of politics and law…. That sucks… I’m happy at least to see the country where I live be more human.
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With respect, this is not quite true, Natalie. The ruling is not a change in the law, and assisting someone to commit suicide is still illegal in Britain. What is new is the guideline that tells people under what conditions a prosecution will be brought. There are certain situations where the actions of a person helping are considered compassionately: this is what the guideline is about. So someone who wishes to die but cannot get to Switzerland by themselves (for example) can be helped by their spouse to travel. The person who wishes to die must also fulfil certain conditions: they must be able to take a decision on their own behalf; their age and mental condition may be relevant.
Nonetheless I completely agree with you about the fact that euthanasia should be possible: people should always have the choice about how they end their lives.
@david: Thanks very much for your comment. It’s certainly my misunderstanding but reading the French newspapers that what they said.
For me, people who are going to help people to die couldn’t be sue anymore (at the conditions you mentionned). For me was a change in the law.
But you are absolutely and thanks to give precisions…