South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal on Tuesday overturned a ruling that granted a man the right to medically-assisted death and could have opened the way to legalise euthanasia. Last year, the High Court in Pretoria had ruled that a doctor could help retired advocate Robin Stransham-Ford, 65, who suffered from prostate cancer, to end his life. Stransham-Ford however died just hours before the court granted the order.
The government appealed against the judgement, saying it could lead to assisted-suicide legislation that would be open to abuse. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) sided with the government as the grounds for granting the order did not exist when it was handed down since Stransham-Ford had already died.