Court Refuses to Declare Suicide Booklet Unlawful

In April 1983, the Queen’s Bench Division refused to declare the booklet, “A Guide to Self Deliverance” unlawful. The court ruled that the supply of this booklet in specified circumstances was not an offence under Section 2(1) of the Suicide Act 1961 (UK) since to do so would amount to declaring that future conduct was criminal when that conduct was not clearly in contravention of the criminal law & when in each case a jury would have to decide whether the necessary facts were proved.