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The Court of Appeal will be asked to rule this week on who can decide whether a patient has treatment to prolong their life.

The right to life/right to die debate has been sparked recently over cases such as Terri Schiavo in the US whose feeding tube was withdrawn after a protracted legal battle in March 2005.

The judges will decide where to draw the line between maintaining patients' autonomy, and supporting doctors' duty to act in what they believe to be their patients' best interests.

A high court ruling in July 2004 found the GMC's guidance to doctors on withholding and withdrawing life-prolonging treatment to be unlawful, and in breach of human rights. The GMC is appealing against the decision.

The European Convention on Human Rights enshrines the right to life. Some believe it is incompatible with the current GMC guidelines which allow doctors to make the final decision on whether to give treatment to a patient or to withhold it.

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