Supreme Court justices have been asked to consider the case of a 23-month-old boy at the centre of a life-support treatment battle for a second time.
Alfie Evans’ parents, who live in Liverpool, are using a piece of ancient English common law during the latest stage of their fight for treatment.
Tom Evans, 21, and Kate James, 20, want to move their son from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool to a hospital in Rome.
They are now arguing that Alfie is being wrongly “detained” at Alder Hey and have made a habeas corpus application.
A writ of habeas corpus – Latin for “you may have the body” – is a legal manoeuvre which requires a court to examine the legality of a detention.
It is a piece of common law which probably dates back to Anglo-Saxon times.
A High Court judge and three Court of Appeal judges have dismissed their claim.
But a spokeswoman for the Supreme Court said the couple had asked justices to consider to examine their claim.
