News round-up: Tony Nicklinson's euthanasia case in the High Court
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This week, the case of Tony Nicklinson, 58, from Melksham in Wiltshire, has reached the High Court.
As the result of a stroke in 2005, Tony has 'locked-in syndrome' - meaning that he is paralysed from the neck down and cannot speak, though his mind is still fully functioning. He communicates using small head and eye movements, either pointing to a board of letters held by another person or via a computer equipped with software controlled by blinking and eye tracking.
Tony describes his life as a "living nightmare" in which he is dependent on other people to do everything for him. The severity of his paralysis means that he's unable to take his own life, so he wants a doctor to be allowed to lawfully kill him.
As the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's medical correspondent Fergus Walsh points out, this is a major challenge to the law on murder and amounts to an appeal to allow euthanasia. It goes much further than previous 'assisted suicide' cases, such as that of Diane Pretty, who in 2001 appealed to the House of Lords to allow her husband to assist in her death.
Tony has the support of his family, but the government's position is that a ruling in Mr Nicklinson's favour would authorise murder.
The hearing started on Tuesday and is expected to last four days, but a ruling will not be made until a later date.
More of the week's headlines
Autism: Child diagnosis in Wales can take seven years (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Friday 22 June)
Hate crime: Support calls for people with learning disabilities (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Thursday 21 June)
(The Independent, Thursday 21 June)
(The Guardian, Wednesday 20 June)
Out on a limb? (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Wednesday 20 June)
Christopher Wakeman's mum 'angry' at care home over bridge death (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Wednesday 20 June)
(The Guardian, Wednesday 20 June)
(The Guardian, Wednesday 20 June)
(The Guardian, Wednesday 20 June)
(The Telegraph, Wednesday 20 June)
(The Independent, Tuesday 19 June)
Kenny Edgar's 98km taxi trip for benefits assessment (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Tuesday 19 June)
Blind cooking: 10 tips from chefs (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Tuesday 19 June)
Improve post office access for sensory loss customers, calls made (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Tuesday 19 June)
(The Guardian, Tuesday 19 June)
Unpaid carers being 'let down by failing social care' (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Monday 18 June)
Carer Tracey Sloan sacrificed her own health for her disabled son (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Monday 18 June)
Research shines light on childhood multiple sclerosis (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Monday 18 June)
'Shocking discrimination' in mental health services (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Monday 18 June)
Jack Osbourne diagnosed with MS, Ozzy and Sharon reveal (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Monday 18 June)
(³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4, Today, Monday 18 June)
Autism photographic competition winner (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Monday 18 June)
Wrongly accused Essex mother wins council apology (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Monday 18 June)
(The Guardian, Monday 18 June)
(The Telegraph, Monday 18 June)
(The Observer, Sunday 17 June)
(The Observer, Sunday 17 June)
(The Guardian, Saturday 16 June)
Exhibition lays bare the secrets of paralympic success (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Saturday 16 June)
(The Independent, Saturday 16 June)
(The Guardian, Friday 15 June)
Moving revelations reveal Parliament's better side (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Friday 15 June)
Anger over autistic girl's locked bathroom ordeal at Flintshire school (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, Friday 15 June)
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