Judge adjourns hearing on removing baby's life-support

Court of Appeal judges considering whether doctors should keep providing life-support treatment to a brain-damaged baby boy have adjourned the case after his parents instructed a leading legal expert.

A High Court judge last month concluded four-month-old Midrar Ali is brain dead, but his parents are challenging the decision that life support could lawfully end.

Three Court of Appeal judges, sitting in Newcastle on Thursday, heard Lord Brennan QC apply for more time to present his case.

He was only appointed on Wednesday afternoonafter legal aid was granted.

Midrar's parents, Karwan Ali, 35, and Shokhan Namiq, 28, who live in Manchester, were not at the hearing.

Lord Brennan said their solicitor had spoken to Mr Ali and described him as "burnt out".

The Court of Appeal judges agreed to adjourn the case until Wednesday, for a hearing in London, to allow Lord Brennan more time to prepare.

Midrar was starved of oxygen due to complications at birth and had been placed on a ventilator at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester.

The hospital's legal team applied to the courts for ventilation to be lawfully withdrawn, allowing Midrar a "kind and dignified death".

Lawyers representing Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said experts have confirmed brain stem death.

Neil Davy, representing the trust, opposed the adjournment, saying: "We do say it would be undignified and unkind to delay matters unnecessarily."

He said the parents' case had properly been presented at the High Court at the previous hearing.