I think it's a profound shame for the man concerned that he should be forced to seek a court ruling through the High Court, and eventually through the Court of Appeal and then the Supreme Court, just to find out what the law is.

Surely the question has been raised often enough by now for politicians to realise that this question is being asked more and more frequently as modern medicine enables people to survive things that would have killed them before, and to keep them alive for longer. For some it is a living hell. Whatever the courts say ... and I suggest, even before they say it ... Parliament should make the law perfectly clear so that everyone can know if doctors are allowed to terminate lives lawfully or not.

What the doctors will make of any such powers remains to be seen, as will the way doctors will be regarded by their patients.