UK judge turns down baby Charlotte appeal

LONDON - A judge at London's High Court has rejected moves by the parents of a gravely ill 15-month-old girl to lift an order giving doctors the right not to take steps to save her if she becomes critically ill again.

Mr Justice Hedley was told by lawyers for Darren and Debbie Wyatt, parents of baby Charlotte Wyatt, that her condition had improved since he made the order last year.

Now a new hearing in the case is expected before Easter at which the judge will again consider medical evidence relating to the improvements said to have taken place in Charlotte.

However, for the time being he ruled that his order should remain as it was.

In doing so he said: "The Court indicates its delight in the improvements that have been observed in Charlotte. Nobody who knows this case could derive other than pleasure from that."

However, he added that there was no evidence at present that the improvements said to have been seen in Charlotte related to her underlying condition.

He continued: "I have had an opportunity to reflect with care on the arguments. I acknowledge specifically that future evidence may require the court to revise the original declarations that I made.

"Equally, future evidence may confirm the rightness of those declarations. At this moment that remains an unresolved issue. With that in mind, I have arrived at the conclusion that I am not prepared to stay the order."

He said Charlotte's doctors had now agreed to carry out further tests on her so that evidence relating to her underlying condition could be put before him.

In Friday's proceedings, the Wyatts had sought a stay of the judge's earlier order pending those proceedings. They are expected to try again to persuade him to lift the order at the further hearing.

Darren Wyatt, 32, and his wife Debbie, 23, argue that their daughter has a real chance of survival, and that Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust should do all they can to keep her alive.

- REUTERS