Charlie Gard’s life support must continue for at least another three weeks, so that the European Court Of Human Rights (ECHR) can come to a decision about whether or not Charlie will undergo pioneering treatment in America.

The Supreme Court has, reluctantly, extended the deadline, allowing Charlie to remain on life support until midnight on 10/11 July.  (Para 20 – and thank you to John Bolch over at Family Lore for drawing our attention to this document).

The decision sits awkwardly with a legal challenge which has been mounted by Great Ormond Street, the hospital overseeing Charlie’s care. Great Ormond Street’s lawyers are arguing that the ECHR has no authority to request or order an extension of Charlie’s life support pending their decision to hear the case. The ECHR have countered this claim by pointing to their regulations which allow for such an order to be made where removal of treatment during the Court’s deliberation would lead to a “real risk of irreversible harm.”

This is an incredibly difficult situation, where medical opinions about the chances of success and survival are based on highly subjective evidence. You can watch the Supreme Court had down its decision, below. Meanwhile, Great Ormond Street has also released an FAQ on the case.