Pretoria - The Justice Ministry has welcomed the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling against a court order granting a terminally ill patient, Robert Stransham-Ford, the right to end his life.
“We are relieved that the SCA correctly stated the law, as this decision could have far reaching implications on the constitutionally entrenched right to life and our common law crimes of murder and culpable homicide,” Justice Minister Michael Masutha said on Tuesday.
The SCA on Tuesday upheld the appeal lodged by Minister Masutha and the Minister of Health against the order of the North Gauteng High Court, wherein the court granted an order in favour of the late Stransham-Ford, who was in the terminal stages of cancer.
The court ordered that a medical practitioner could administer a lethal agent at his request but he died before the order was granted.
The SCA held that the claim ceased to exist once the applicant died before the order could be granted.
The SCA further held that this was an inappropriate case in which to develop the common law of murder and culpable homicide. - SAnews.gov.za
