Assisted Suicide

Debate between David Burrowes and Joan Ruddock

Tuesday 27th March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Dame Joan Ruddock]

Clearly, if the existing guidelines were put into statute they would lie alongside existing statute. I will go on to explain why I think it is very important that they should be in statute.

[Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con)]

Would not one of the implications of the amendment, if it were passed, be to fetter the discretion of the DPP to amend the code? It would drive a coach and horses through section 10 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, which gives the DPP complete discretion to draft his own codes.

[Dame Joan Ruddock]

I completely disagree. First, the amendment invites the Government to consult, which could not possibly contravene an Act in itself. Furthermore, the Act that gives the discretion is not overturned by putting the guidelines into statute. What the statute would then say is, “These are the circumstances…” but it would not remove from the DPP the discretion he has in existing statute.