Bishop of Exeter's Statement following the Director of Public Prosecution's Interim Policy on Assisted Suicide....

The Bishop of Exeter, the Rt Revd Michael Langrish, has released a statement responding to the Director of Public Prosecutions’ Interim Policy for Prosecutors in Respect of Cases of Assisted Suicide.

He said: "The Church of England has consistently argued – and Parliament has consistently voted – against any change in the law governing assisted suicide, even when this is motivated by compassion. Guidance from the DPP about the application of the present law to particular circumstances has the potential to provide greater clarity and is in principle to be welcomed, so long as there can be confidence that it will not in practice lead to an erosion of respect for the present law. There are serious moral, ethical and practical issues to consider – for example in relation to concepts such as ‘encouragement’ and the nature of ‘informed decision making’. The Church of England is therefore reserving its position on the detail of the draft guidance at this stage. Its formal submission will be made public in due course."

The Archbishops’ Council’s Mission and Public Affairs Division has created a website section called Protecting Life – Opposing Assisted Suicide at www.cofe.anglican.org/protectinglife.