Baby Alfie Evans' parents lose life-support treatment appeal
Judges say Alfie Evans is "deeply comatose", but a lawyer says the state has incorrectly interfered with "parental choice".
Tuesday 6 March 2018 17:00, UK
The parents of a seriously ill baby, who want life-support treatment for their youngster to continue, have lost the latest round of their legal fight.
A judge ruled last month that doctors could stop providing life-support to 21-month-old Alfie Evans, who suffers from a degenerative neurological condition.
Mr Justice Hayden made his decision after doctors at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool said that continuing to provide treatment was "unkind, unfair and inhumane".
Three Court of Appeal judges have now upheld that ruling, saying Mr Justice Hayden was "meticulous and thorough".
But the barrister leading Alfie's parents' legal team, Stephen Knafler QC, said "the state" had incorrectly interfered with "parental choice".
Alfie, who was born on 9 May 2016, is in a semi-vegetative state. His neurological condition has not been definitively diagnosed.
His parents, Kate James and Tom Evans, believe their son responds to them.
But one of the three Appeal Court judges, Mrs Justice King, said they were "unable to accept what movements in Alfie they see are not positive responses".
Medical evidence showed that Alfie was "deeply comatose" and "to all intents and purposes unaware of his surroundings", she added.
She also said his father wanted to move him to a hospital in Rome and then, if necessary, to another hospital in Munich.
But despite admitting that Mr Evans was passionate and wanted to "fight on with Alfie's Army", he had "no clear plan", she said.
Ms James and Mr Evans, both in their 20s, were not at the appeal hearing on Tuesday, but listened via a phone link.