Displaying items by tag: legal battle

When Archie Battersbee’s accident left him unconscious, he was put on life support treatment, but months later he had not regained consciousness and doctors said he was brain-stem dead. They planned to stop treatment. Archie's mother disagreed, wanting a ‘realistic time’ for her child to recover saying, ‘Planned death is euthanasia, which is illegal in this country. It is for God to decide what should happen to Archie, including if, when and how he should die.’ On 22 July we highlighted Archie’s situation and the need for law changes so that the vulnerable and their families are protected in end-of-life matters.  His parents began legal proceedings to keep Archie on life support treatment, but finally on 4 August the European Court of Human Rights refused their application to delay any changes to his treatment. Continue to pray for changes to be made around hospitals' power to make life or death decisions for the vulnerable.

On 27 July Victoria Wasteney attended court in the next stage of her long legal battle. As head of forensic occupational therapy at a London hospital she was suspended for 'gross misconduct' for nine months and received a written warning, following allegations of 'harassment and bullying' by a Muslim staff-member. She appealed to the Employment Appeal Tribunal when the judge recognised the significance of her case in protecting religious freedom. The judge said that the tribunal should consider whether the original ruling had properly applied the European Convention on Human Rights' strong protection of freedom of religion and expression. When she lost her appeal, Victoria applied for permission to appeal the tribunal's decision to the Court of Appeal, but this was refused. She is now seeking to challenge this, with support from Christian Concern.