Laurence Oates makes joke of justice : Disabled people demand equal rights for 'Mary' Laurence Oates the official solicitor for the conjoined twin known as 'Mary' cannot be trusted defend the equal rights of any disabled person, especially those of us who do not advocate for ourselves. The judgement from the highly publicised Appeal case highlights absent questions about supporting both children to live. Oates then conspired with the solicitor representing 'Mary's' parents, cast her rights aside and accepted the court ruling. We don't understand why he was then allowed to then take a test case under the new Human Rights Act and defend two more disabled people's lives. It is impossible to accurately predict the quality, value or length of anyone's life. This must be accepted in UK law, for the benefit of everyone who is and will become disabled one day. The twins known as 'Mary' and 'Jodie' are disabled children and the outcome of their case will affect other twins, disabled children and adults. The twins have not been viewed as equals by either the hospital or legal system, meaning that Mary had no chance from the beginning: not because of the way she is joined to her sister, but because it was decided her life was not worth living. At last nights vigil outside St Mary's Hospital, which has been held every week since the ruling to kill Mary, one disabled woman said "Any decision which legalises the killing of a disabled person, through active means or withdrawal of treatment, undermines the rights of all disabled people." Disabled campaigners welcome today's High Court case to remove Laurence Oates power over 'Mary'. Our campaign is not linked to the Pro Life Alliance, we are an independent group of disabled women and men campaigning on Equal Rights to Life for all disabled people. We hope this case means 'Mary's' equal rights will be upheld under the new laws and that the twins will be supported to live their lives on an equal basis. We live in a country where the public are already being conditioned to accept that some people are better off dead. Can we trust Oates to defend any disabled people's equal rights? Disabled people are available for interview. Please contact danner@breathe.com or Simone Aspis on 0208 459 5717. |