The office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has said it is studying last week's US court ruling denying the extradition of the Rev George Exoo (65) for assisting a suicide in Ireland five years ago.
West Virginia judge Clarke VanDervort ruled Mr Exoo, a Unitarian minister, could not be extradited because assisting suicide is not a crime under federal or West Virginia law and is not an offence in 25 of the 50 states in the US.
Mr Exoo is charged with assisting the suicide of Rosemary Toole in Dublin, who ended her life in 2002 by taking pills and inhaling helium. He has claimed that Ms Toole had made detailed preparations for her death and that his role was simply to pray with her as she took her life.
He was arrested at his home in Beckley, West Virginia, last June in relation to an Irish extradition warrant. A spokeswoman for the DPP's office said yesterday that it was still considering the US court's decision.
"The DPP is studying the Exoo decision made by the US court and will take advice on the matter and make a decision in due course."
