Gail O'Rorke acquitted of attempting to assist the suicide of her friend

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a jury has acquitted Gail O'Rorke of attempting to assist the suicide of her friend. The jury returned not guilty verdicts after an eight-day trial and seven hours of deliberation. Ms O'Rorke, a taxi driver from Tallaght with connections to Monaghan, had faced charges of attempting to help Bernadette Forde travel to a euthanasia clinic in Switzerland. Ms Forde, who suffered from severe multiple sclerosis, died in June 2011. Prior to the jury's decision, the trial judge had directed not guilty verdicts on two additional charges relating to the procurement of barbiturates and funeral arrangements. This was the first prosecution under the Criminal Law (Suicide) Act 1993, which criminalises assisting another person's suicide. The judge commended the jury for their careful consideration of what he described as a difficult case.