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On 20 September 2009, it was announced that guidelines on assisted suicide law would be published by the United Kingdom Government. Debbie Purdy and her counsel David Pannick Queen's Counsel argued that the Director of Public Prosecutions (Ken Macdonald Queen's Counsel) was infringing on her human rights by failing to clarify how the Suicide Acting 1961 is enforced. The DPP counsel took the position that the law does not require the DPP to make any further clarification of the Acting: they argue that the Acting and further information contained in the Code for Crown Prosecutors provide sufficient information.
The penalty for those who "aid, abet, counsel or procure the suicide of another" is a maximum of 14 years.
The hearing began on 2 October 2008 and was complete soon after. The venue was the High Court of Justice.
lieutenant proceeded before Lord Justice Scott Baker and Mr Justice Aikens. On 10 December 2008 Sky television broadcast a programme on which a man with motor neurone disease was shown committing suicide with assistance.
These two events led to the issue of assisted suicide making the first story on the British Broadcasting Corporation"s Newsnight.
Purdy appeared to debate the issue and denied that it is society that makes disabled people wish to kill themselves and reasserted her belief that it is right to be able to seek assistance when one is physically incapable of committing suicide oneself.
