Supreme Court Considers Noel Conway’s Right to Die

The Supreme Court heard how terminally ill man Noel Conway wants to be able to end his own life with dignity.

Humanists UK, which is supporting Noel’s legal bid, will apply to intervene in the Noel Conway Supreme Court case, as it did at the High Court and Court of Appeal.

Humanists UK campaigns to legalise assisted dying across the UK for people who are terminally ill or incurably suffering and who have made a clear decision, free from coercion, to end their lives.

Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said: “Noel hopes to establish that all people who are terminally ill must be able to make their own choices about how they want to die and to have these choices protected by law and we are proud to support Noel’s case.

“In any assisted dying law there must be strict legal safeguards in place but being able to die, with dignity, in a manner of our choosing, must be understood to be a fundamental human right.’

Nancy Collins, Partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, who represents Humanists UK, said: “We welcome today’s permission hearing by the Supreme Court. We hope that permission will be granted and that the Court will swiftly consider Mr Conway’s case that he should be allowed to choose the manner and timing of his death. We continue to represent Humanists UK who have long campaigned for the right to assisted dying.

“We hope that the Supreme Court will make a positive finding in support of Mr Conway and the proposed scheme for assisted dying so that terminally ill people are able to choose how and when to die, where they wish to do so. We believe that this is a fundamental right that should now be recognised and protected by the law.”