September 2, 2025
Abbasi v Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Rev1) [2025] UKSC 15 (16 April 2025)
The Supreme Court ruled on the case of a terminally ill child whose parents wished to pursue experimental treatment abroad. The Court affirmed that moving the child to palliative care was in her best interests, prioritising her welfare and dignity over parental wishes. Facts The case concerned Zainab Abbasi, a six-year-old girl suffering from Niemann-Pick disease, a rare and fatal neurodegenerative condition. Medical experts at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were unanimous in their opinion that her condition was irreversible, progressive, and that she was nearing the end of her life. They concluded that further life-sustaining treatment
