Noel Conway: Terminally ill man granted assisted dying appeal

A terminally ill man who wants to be helped to die has been granted permission to take his case to appeal.

Two judges from the Court of Appeal said there should be a full hearing of 68-year-old Noel Conway's case.

Mr Conway, a retired lecturer from Shropshire who has motor neurone disease, was too ill to attend court.

Last October, the High Court rejected his challenge to the Suicide Act 1961 which he argues breaches his right to a "peaceful and dignified death".

Mr Conway wants a doctor to be allowed to prescribe him a lethal dose of drugs.

The Appeal Court granted permission for him to challenge the ruling and will give its reasons later.

But the full appeal will not be heard until a later date.

Mr Conway's barrister told the court that he had been given "more than six months to live, but not much more" and as a result would welcome the appeal being heard quickly.

Currently any doctor helping him to die would face up to 14 years in prison.

Back in October, Lord Justice Sales, Mrs Justice Whipple and Mr Justice Garnham rejected his case.

His lawyers had argued he faced a stark choice, which was unfair and the law needed to change.

They said he could either bring about his own death while still physically able to do so, or await death with no control over how and when it came.