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It will now be sufficient for families and doctors to agree that euthanasia is for the good of the person. AFP / Fred Dufour
In the United Kingdom, the Supreme Court has just decided: it will no longer be necessary to obtain legal permission to end the days of patients who are in a vegetative state or of minimum consciousness. It will be enough for families and doctors to agree that it is for the good of the person.
With our correspondent in London, Chloé Goudenhooft
The issue had been brought up to date after the death of a patient known as My Y. While a High Court judge ruled in November that it was not necessary to bring the case before the courts, a lawyer representing people who did not have the capacity to appeal had made this decision.
But here, Judge Lady Black explained Monday that nothing in the common law or in the Convention on Human Rights, made it necessary to resort to justice to decide issues related to this topic.
Although this issue will continue to be controversial in the public opinion given the diversity of religious and ethical beliefs in the UK, this decision should relieve the suffering of many families, because the agreement given by the courts could take months, even years to be made. Not to mention the costs involved in keeping the patients concerned alive.
To date, 24,000 people are believed to be in a vegetative or minimally conscious state in the UK.
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