Legal challenge to Siamese operation

Siamese twins Jodie and Mary are joined at the spine

Pro-life groups are to launch a last ditch attempt to stop the operation to separate Siamese twins Jodie and Mary from going ahead.

The twins have been at the centre of legal battle since they were born in August after doctors sought permission from the courts to carry out the operation, despite the parents' opposition.

The parents decided to give up their fight to keep both girls together after a Court of Appeal ruling in favour of surgery.

The Official Solicitor Laurence Oates who represents the weaker twin Mary also decided not to appeal against the decision.

The decision not to appeal by her guardian, the Official Solicitor, deprives Mary of a decision at the highest level

Robin Cooper, lawyer for Pro-Life Alliance

But lawyers acting for Bruno Quintavalle, director of the Pro-Life Alliance, have lodged an appeal at the High Court to have the Official Solicitor Laurence Oates removed as Mary's guardian.

Mr Quintavalle is putting himself forward to act on her behalf.

If he wins the case, provisionally listed for Friday, he could then challenge the Court of Appeal's ruling that the operation should go ahead.

Robin Cooper, who is representing Mr Quintavalle, said he believed that the Law Lords would be prepared to hear the case at the earliest opportunity.

"It is our understanding that they would have been ready to hear it very, very quickly if an appeal had been lodged by the Official Solicitor on behalf of Mary."

He added: "The decision not to appeal by her guardian, the Official Solicitor, deprives Mary of a decision at the highest level, so causing her certain death if the operation goes ahead."

A spokeswoman for the Pro-Life Alliance, which campaigns against abortion and euthanasia, said Mr Quintavalle was not prepared to comment at this stage.

The operation to separate the twins - which will result in the certain death of Mary - is expected to take pace in mid-November.

Religious objection

The twins' parents, from the Maltese island of Gozo, had fiercely opposed to the operation on religious grounds.

The twins are joined at the abdomen, have a fused spine and share the same blood supply.

Jodie has a normal brain, heart, lung and liver. She appears to have a separate bowel, although the twins share a bladder.

She has two normal legs and a dislocated pelvic joint which has made the limbs lie at right angles to the spine.

Mary feeds on Jodie's vital organs to survive. Her heart and lungs are so poorly developed that she is totally dependent on her sister for oxygen and blood circulation.

Doctors believe that Jodie could survive separation because her long-term problems are "functional" rather than life threatening.

However, there is a significant chance that she too could die following the operation.

The only current threat posed to Jodie, say doctors, is that Mary is sapping her strength. They have said that they are prepared to operate early if this threat intensifies.