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Analysis and Health

Why court ruling on ending life support is the right decision

It is much kinder for all involved if someone kept alive in a vegetative state is allowed to die with only their doctor’s and family’s approval, not a judge’s say-so

By Clare Wilson

21 September 2017 Last updated 22 September 2017

holding hands — Getty

Should someone in a vegetative state, with no awareness of themselves or what is going on around them, be kept alive with a feeding tube for years after all hope of recovery has gone? It’s a question not many want to think about, but some families have to.

Now, a judgment announced yesterday by the Court of Protection of England and Wales may make it easier for families of people in such conditions to stop artificial feeding and let their loved one die without having to go through a lengthy and distressing legal process.

It might seem like this…

Article amended on 22 September 2017

Since this article was first published, we have corrected the jurisdiction that the court ruling will apply to. We have also changed the photo.

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