LONDON: A British man who helped his terminally ill wife travel to Switzerland to end her own life should be allowed to inherit part of her estate, London’s High Court has ruled in a case that underlines the complexity of the law on assisted dying.

Myra Morris died in December last year aged 73, having self-administered an overdose of pentobarbital at a clinic in Liestal, Switzerland.

She had suffered from multiple system atrophy, a rare and degenerative neurological disorder with no known cure and which left her in constant pain.

Her husband Philip was precluded from any right to inherit Myra’s estate under English law as a result of having reluctantly assisted his wife to take her own life.

Philip Morris applied to London’s High Court and a judge said in a ruling this week that the rule should not be applied in his case.

Judge William Trower said in his ruling that Morris had tried to persuade his wife not to end her own life and reluctantly helped her out of compassion.

Morris said in a witness statement quoted by the judge: “For a woman of such beauty, intelligence, dignity and grace, being so physically incapacitated and reliant on others made life intolerable for Myra.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2024