Nicklinsons continue legal fight

The family of the late right-to-die campaigner Tony Nicklinson have revealed the latest stage in their fight for assisted suicide to be made legal.

Mr Nicklinson, who was paralysed by a stroke in 2005, died in August at the age of 47, days after he lost his High Court battle for the right to end his life.

His daughters have continued to post messages to his Twitter account following his death and confirmed the latest stage in the family's campaign:

High Court judges announced that a sufferer of locked-in syndrome, known only as 'AM' or 'Martin', who lost his case at the High Court in August, has been given the go-ahead for his action against the Director of Public Prosecutions to be heard by appeal judges.

After suffering a massive stroke in August 2008, he is unable to speak, is virtually unable to move and describes his life as "undignified, distressing and intolerable" - he wants to be allowed a "dignified suicide".

His lawyers said the High Court ruling deprived 47-year-old Martin of "the opportunity to take the necessary steps to end his own life".

High Court judges have refused permission for the case of locked-in syndrome sufferer Tony Nicklinson, who died shortly after losing a landmark right-to-die legal battle, to go to the Court of Appeal, the court announced today.

Tony Nicklinson's wife Jane has told ITV News that he had "lost the fight" after he was left devastated after losing his right-to-die High Court bid.

Jane said; "he knew exactly what he was doing," when he refused antibiotics after contracting pneumonia.

His daughter Lauren added that, "he felt he couldn't go on anymore, he had no reason to live anymore and he saw his opportunity and he took it."

Jane Nicklinson said her husband deteriorated dramatically after he lost the High Court case to allow doctors to end his life without being prosecuted on August 16. Speaking to the BBC Wiltshire she said:

Jane Nicklinson said that Tony's life after his stroke was "absolute torture." Speaking to the BBC for the first time since her husband died from pneumonia after refusing food and fluids last week she said:

"For him it was absolute agony , it was torture for him. It was very hard for us to sit back and see him deteriorate but we were fighting the fight with him. It was what we could do for him. It was his wish."

The wife of the late Tony Nicklinson has said she hoped someone will continue with the campaign her husband started before he died. Speaking to the BBC for the first time since his death last week she said:

"This is certainly not the end of the campaign. I do hope that someone takes it up. Even though we didn't win - all the hard work for the case has been done. I hope at some point, someone will come forward and carry on with what Tony started."

Tony Nicklinson's daughter said the news of her father's death had not yet sunk in.

Dr Antony Lempert, the chairman of the Secular Medical Forum which campaigns against religious influences in medical treatment, has said that Tony Nicklinson will leave a fitting legacy:

'Martin', a man with locked-in syndrome who is appealing to have the law regarding assisted suicide changed, said today: