Archie Battersbee: Family of Southend boy win right to appeal against ruling he is 'dead'
The 12 year old is at the centre of a High Court dispute over whether life support can be withdrawn
Last updated 20th Jun 2022
The parents of a 12-year-old Archie Battersbee, who is at the centre of a life-support treatment fight, have been given the go-ahead to take the case to the Court of Appeal.
It comes after a High Court judge concluded last week that the youngster was 'dead.'
He's been in a coma in hospital since an incident at his home back in April.
Archie's parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, from Southend, want Court of Appeal judges to consider the case.
Mrs Justice Arbuthnot has now given Ms Dance and Mr Battersbee permission to take the case to the Court of Appeal.
Edward Devereux QC, who represents Archie Battersbee's parents, outlined a number of "grounds of appeal" in a written submission to the hearing over whether his life-support treatment should be ended.
The judge agreed that the hospital should prove that Archie is dead 'beyond reasonable doubt', rather than on the 'balance of probability.'.
Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, think the youngster is "brain-stem dead".
They say treatment should end and think Archie should be disconnected from a ventilator.
Archie's parents say his heart is still beating and want treatment to continue.
The case will now go to the Court of Appeal on Friday.