A woman in London who is paralysed from the neck down has won her court battle for the right to die. A High Court judge this morning said that the ruling would mean that the woman, known only as Miss B, could end her life peacefully and with dignity.
The woman has been paralysed for over a year with no chance of recovery. She applied to the courts to be allowed to order that her life support machinery be switched off. The judgement was relayed from the court to her hospital bed by videolink this morning.
The patient, 43-year-old Miss B, had been told by the judge that the only issue for the court to decide was whether or not she had the capacity to make a decision which includes telling others to turn off her ventilator.
The judge decided Miss B could make that decision this morning. If the patient now wants to go ahead she will be transferred to another hospital where medical staff would be prepared to carry out her wishes.
