Cape Town advocate Robin Stransham-Ford has been given a court order to get assisted suicide.

The terminally ill Robin Stansham-Ford, told the court that he wanted to die when he chooses to‚ with his family around him. He won the case and has been granted his right to die at the hands of a doctor.

The North Gauteng High Court yesterday heard an urgent application for Stransham-Ford to be allowed to ask a doctor to help him die.

North High Court Judge Hans Fabricus ruled that Stransham-Ford was mentally competent and freely and voluntarily wanted assisted suicide.

Stransham-Ford‚ who has terminal cancer‚

It was ruled that the doctor that assists him will not be prosecuted in the first ever case of this kind.

The court also ruled that the decision for assisted suicide will not affect the draft regulations bill on assisted suicide.

However Fabricus emphasised that the order applied only to this case and future cases would be debated on their merit.