The extension is to allow Archie Battersbee’s parents to apply to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), but they have said they prefer to refer the case to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). On Monday, three judges, sitting at the Court of Appeal, rejected an appeal against a High Court ruling that doctors at the Royal London Hospital, east London, could stop Archie’s treatment – but agreed to uphold their decision until 2 p.m. Wednesday. A written application to the appeals court on Wednesday extended the wait until 2pm on Thursday. The Christian Legal Centre, a campaign group supporting Archie’s parents, said that is not enough time to allow them to go to the UNCRPD, which it believes is more likely than the ECHR to order a delay in the withdrawal of life support. the complaint is being investigated. It said the ECtHR “has a history of rejecting applications from parents in end-of-life cases”. Archie’s mother Hollie Dance, 46, said: “It feels wrong that the appeals court tried to force us down a path they know will fail and took away our right to take the case to the UN. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST “All we have asked from the start is that Archie be given more time and that Archie’s wishes and ours be respected. As long as Archie is alive I will never give up on him, he’s too good to give up.” Dance and Archie’s father Paul Battersbee, 57, want Archie to die a “natural” death. Their son suffered brain damage about three months ago when, his mother believes, he drowned while participating in a viral social media trend. The center suggested that Archie’s parents would try to appeal to the high court on Thursday to allow them to take their case to the UN. The stay granted is specifically to enable an application to the ECHR, but the Guardian understands that nothing prevents them from applying to the UNCPRD. The extension was given due to the illness of Archie’s father, who was discharged from hospital after being admitted on Monday morning with a suspected heart attack before the appeal court.
