England and Wales assisted suicide law clarified

[Mosherette]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8270320.stm

New guidance has been issued to clarify the law on assisted suicide in England and Wales - but it offers no guarantees against prosecution.

Instead the director of public prosecutions has spelled out the range of factors that will be taken into account when deciding on cases.

These include whether there was a financial motive, and looking into how the decision to die was made.

The guidance does not represent a change in the law.

Assisting suicide is still illegal and carries a jail term of up to 14 years.

[Jay Tea]

So, what 'are' the clarifications then? Doesn't look like anything's changed to me, in terms of the approach to assisted suicide.

I fully endorse the likes of Dignitas, and would welcome a UK alternative one day. An individual should be able to sign the requisite and shuffle off as and when they see fit, with a decent legal backing so skullduggery isn't an option.