A terminally ill man has lost a legal battle at the UK’s highest court over his right to die.
Noel Conway, 68, suffers from motor neurone disease and only has movement in his right hand, head and neck.
The former lecturer from Shrewsbury lost a challenge at the Court of Appeal in June after his case was rejected by the High Court.
The three supreme court justices – Lady Hale, the supreme court president, Lord Reed, the deputy president, and Lord Kerr – accepted the issue was of “transcendent public importance”.
“We all have to experience the death of people about whom we care. We all have to contemplate our own death,” they said.
But the justices decided there was little chance of success if Conway’s claim were heard in full by the court. “Not without some reluctance, it has been concluded that in this case those prospects are not sufficient to justify giving permission to appeal,” they stated.
Mr Conway, supported by Dignity in Dying, said: “Today’s decision is extremely disappointing. It means that I will not be able to have my arguments heard by the highest court in the land. Dying people like me cannot wait years for another case to be heard.
“I am particularly disappointed that the courts have instead listened to the arguments of doctors who have never met me but think they know best about the end of my life.”
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