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Article 14 (prohibition
of discrimination) - no violation.
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Mrs Pretty said that the
current law discrimated against her, as an able-bodied person would be
legally able to commit suicide, whereas she could not without help.
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The ruling stated:
"There was, in the Court's view, objective and reasonable justification
for not distinguishing in law between those who were and those who were not
physically capable of committing suicide.
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"Cogent reasons existed
for not seeking to distinguish between those who were able and those who were
unable to commit suicide unaided.
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"The borderline between
the two categories would often be a very fine one and to seek to build into
the law an exemption for those judged to be incapable of committing suicide
would seriously undermine the protection of life which the 1961 Act was intended
to safeguard and greatly increase the risk of abuse."
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