LONDON, March 27, 2002 (LSN.ca) – A UK High Court ruling last week allowing a paralyzed woman to refuse the continuation of a ventilator machine to assist her in breathing. The 43-year-old woman identified only as Miss B was awarded 100 to compensate her for “trespass” of unwanted medical treatment by judge Dame Elizabeth Butler Sloss.
Commenting on the judgment, Archbishop Peter Smith, Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff and Chairman of the Department for Christian Responsibility and Citizenship of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales said:
“The Court was asked to rule whether she was legally competent to make a decision to refuse life-prolonging treatment which had become burdensome. In this case the Court has decided that Miss B is legally competent to make such a decision. The right of a patient to refuse such treatment has long been recognised as legally and morally acceptable. It is important to be clear, however, that this case did not involve questions about euthanasia or assisted suicide and has set no precedents in respect of either. “
See the BBC coverage and the Bishop’s statement: https://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1887000/1887281.stm https://217.19.224.165/CN/02/020322.htm