An Australian court on Friday ruled that a quadriplegic man who has begged to be allowed to die has the right to order his carers to starve him to death.
In a landmark judgement, Western Australia’s chief judge Wayne Martin said the Brightwater Care Group would not be criminally responsible if it stopped feeding and hydrating severely paralysed Christian Rossiter, 49.
Martin said Rossiter had the right to direct his own treatment, and that food and water “should not be administered against his wishes”.
The ruling sets a legal precedent in Australia, where helping someone take their own life is a crime punishable by life in prison in some states.
The judge found Rossiter was not terminally ill or dying and had the mental capacity to make an informed decision about stopping his treatment.
Martin ordered that medical staff fully explain to Rossiter the consequences of ceasing nutrition and hydration through a tube into his stomach.
