Judge orders cancer victim must have surgery, even by force

[Demobe Profile]

WTF

The unidentified British woman has indicated that she does not want surgery for her cancer, but the decision is no longer hers to make.
The head of England's High Court Family Division Sir Nicholas Wall has ruled that a mentally challenged woman suffering from cancer can be forced by doctors to undergo surgery to remove her diseased ovaries and fallopian tubes.
The judge's order was made under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, which allows the court to decide on the "best interests" of those who lack the ability to make their own decisions.
Although Sir Nicholas was sitting in the Court of Protection, a little-known body that usually makes its decisions in secret, the judge made his ruling in open court because he thought the decision should be in the public domain to help others "who may be faced with a similar dilemma".
According to Sky News, the 55-year-old cancer sufferer, known only as PS, has a "significant impairment in intellectual functioning, is terrified of hospitals and needles and has either failed to turn up for treatment, or refused to have it."
Doctors at her local NHS Foundation Trust said the woman had agreed to have the surgery, but then changed her mind and refused to come to her appointments. They said she will die if she does not get the surgery.
Sir Nicholas said if the woman could not be persuaded to undergo surgery, it might be necessary to sedate her to get her to the hospital and to keep her there for recovery after the operation.

[Hansom Profile]

WTF indeed

Whatever happened to free will and the right of self determination ?

Maybe if she had all her faculties she could of made a reservation of her unalienable rights before entering the courtroom, and also indicated that she had no desire or intention of waiving said rights.
Furthermore adding that any person or persons not respecting her rights would set a precedence, negating her responsibilities of observing the person or persons very same aforementioned rights.

[Grows Profile]

People with mental imparements can have their responsibility taken, however: "significant impairment in intellectual functioning, is terrified of hospitals and needles and has either failed to turn up for treatment, or refused to have it." doesn't sound like a confirmed clinical disorder. A lawyer could probably help her out... though she would probably live longer with surgery.