From the archives: Family loses case to keep life-support on for father, 27 August, 2005

A SCOTTISH family battling against a decision by doctors to withdraw life support systems from their critically ill father have failed in their High Court bid to block the move.

The Muslim family, who cannot be named for legal reasons, say that according to their religious beliefs the doctors should do everything in their power to maintain their 86-year-old father’s life, as only God had the power to bestow death. The family say they have evidence from a doctor that their father is getting better. But Mr Justice Kirkwood, sitting at London’s High Court, said that the family’s evidence and beliefs were outweighed by the overwhelming consensus from all the other doctors who had looked at their father, and he granted the NHS trust the declarations they sought, enabling them to withdraw care support from him.

• archive.scotsman.com