Euthanasia: Woman wins right to review of law on assisted suicide

A woman with multiple sclerosis who wants her husband to help her end her life today won a landmark legal review of the law on assisted suicide. Two judges gave Debbie Purdy permission to bring a high court challenge forcing the director of public prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald, to clarify under which circumstances people could be prosecuted for helping their loved ones die.

Purdy, 45, wants her husband, Omar Puente, to accompany her to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland to end her life once her suffering has become unbearable. However, she is worried he could be prosecuted on returning to the UK. Puente would be liable to prosecution and a prison term of up to 14 years if found guilty of assisting, aiding or abetting a suicide.

Lord Justice Latham, sitting with Mr Justice Nelson at the high court in London, ruled that "without wishing to give Ms Purdy any optimism that her arguments will ultimately succeed", she did have an arguable case which should go to a full hearing. It is currently illegal in the UK to assist the suicide of another person - even if it happens abroad and assisted suicide is legal in that country.

But the legal situation is unclear because none of the relatives of the 92 Britons who have already died at Dignitas have been prosecuted on their return to the UK. "I am delighted that the courts have decided to officially review the law surrounding my case," said Purdy. "If the DPP does clarify that my husband will not be prosecuted for accompanying me to Dignitas, I will be able to wait until I'm ready to go. I want to wait until the last possible moment – if I can no longer bear being alive – but I cannot do that

to end her life once her suffering has become unbearable

Selfish is so many ways. If she wants to end it, and if she can end it now, maybe she should -- it would be terrible for her soul, but at least she wouldn't bring anyone else into it. But noooooooo. She needs to wait. She needs to pass the point where she can't do it alone. Then she will selfishly insist that her husband help kill her. My God! So wrong.

“once her suffering has become unbearable. “

What suffering? As far as I know MS is mostly not painful, it is just very annoying. A very good friend of ours with MS died and although she was blind and had trouble walking there was no direct pain from the MS.

MS is annoying because you lose things. Speech, vision, coordination, feeling, etc. Maybe I just don't know, but there is no pain I am aware of. Our friend was one of the most lively people I know of and lived her life fully in spite of any infirmities.

I can not imagine her wanting to kill herself. MS can affect each person affected differently, but killing myself is the furthest thing from my mind. Life is just too cool. I have had MS for over 21 years and can not imagine missing anything by being dead.

MS is annoying but death has got to be even more annoying just because of missing out on life. So I can't see why this woman wants to die.

Unless is is because of the screwed up things in Britain like the health care system. That has got to be more annoying than the MS.

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