Courts / Ireland / Report

Man whose wife took right-to-die Supreme Court challenge says assisted suicide trial should never have taken place

Summary

Gail O'Rorke was found not guilty at the conclusion of an eight-day trial, where she faced a charge of attempting to assist the suicide of her friend, Bernadette Forde, by travelling to a euthanasia clinic in Switzerland. The finding of not guilty was delivered after a jury deliberation. Following the verdict, O'Rorke released a statement welcoming the result and thanking her legal team, the judge, jury, and gardaí for their support during the proceedings. Right-to-die campaigner Tom Curran, who was present throughout the trial, commented that the prosecution should never have taken place, citing the Supreme Court's 2013 ruling in the case of his late partner, Marie Fleming. Fleming had challenged the ban on assisted suicide, and the Supreme Court found against her but noted that the Director of Public Prosecutions may use discretion in such cases. Curran expressed shock that charges were brought against O'Rorke after this ruling, arguing that the law is flawed given public opinion. He described the day as a celebration for O'Rorke, who he said was relieved and emotional. Curran, an Irish representative for Exit International, stated that Forde had a peaceful death and that the matter should now be left behind to prevent similar trials.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man whose wife took right-to-die Supreme Court challenge says assisted suicide trial should never have taken place. Procedural stage: finding. Findings: Acquitted

When:

• December 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
• June 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2015-04-28 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Finding

Read the original CNI report