I v. Finland
Country: FinlandYear: 2008
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 20511/03
Health Topics: Health information
Human Rights: Right to privacy
The applicant was a nurse from 1989 to 1994 at the same public hospital where she sought treatment after being diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1987. All hospital staff had access to the patient register, which contained information on patients’ diagnoses. In 1992, the applicant became suspicious that her colleagues became aware of her diagnosis through …Read more
Botros v Beadle
Country: CanadaYear: 2007
Court: Ontario Superior Court of Justice – Divisional Court
Citation: [2007] OJ No 3156
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Health care and health services, Health information, Hospitals, Medical malpractice
Human Rights: Right of access to information, Right to due process/fair trial, Right to privacy
Botros was a specialist in psychiatry and sleep medicine. Three patients complained to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (“the CPSO”) that Botros improperly diagnosed and treated them and that his communications were rude and unprofessional. It was also alleged that Botros withheld information and patient data from the successor physician. The Inquiries, …Read more
L.L v. France
Country: FranceYear: 2007
Court: The European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Case No. 7509/02
Health Topics: Health information
Human Rights: Right to privacy
In a proceeding for divorce, a confidential medical document (a correspondence between the applicant’s doctor and a specialist) indicating the applicant’s alcoholism was relied upon. The judge further quoted paragraphs from the document in his judgment and the divorce was granted on the grounds of fault committed by the applicant. The applicant’s request for legal …Read more
M. v. United Kingdom
Country: United KingdomYear: 2007
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Health Topics: Health information, Mental health
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial, Right to privacy, Right to social security
The applicant, a mental health patient, brought action against the Secretary of State for Health alleging violations of Articles 8 (private life), 13 (ineffective remedy) and 46.1 (failure to change law) of the European Convention on human Rights when she was without power to change or even make objections to the identity of her ’nearest …Read more
NM v. Smith
Country: South AfricaYear: 2007
Court: Constitutional Court
Citation: [2007] ZACC 6; Case CCT 69/05
Health Topics: Health information, HIV/AIDS, Informed consent
Human Rights: Right to privacy
A publishing company published a biography on a South African member of parliament that disclosed the names of three women who were HIV-positive. The three women alleged that their names had been published in the book without their prior consent having been obtained. They had participated in clinical trials, known as the FTC 302 trials, directed …Read more
Panteleyenko v. Ukraine
Country: UkraineYear: 2007
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 11901/02
Health Topics: Health information, Mental health
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial, Right to privacy
In 1999 criminal charges were brought against the applicant for abuse of power and forgery of official documents. The applicant was a private notary and, according to the prosecutors’ allegations, had fraudulently certified title and real-estate transactions using invalid registration forms. As part of the investigation into these charges, the applicant’s office was searched, and …Read more
Case 2-A-216-1/06
Country: UkraineYear: 2006
Court: Pecherskyi District Court
Citation: No. 2-A-216-1/06
Health Topics: Health information, Health systems and financing
Human Rights: Right to privacy
Plaintiff Svitlana Yuriyivna Poberezhets challenged the Order “On Approving the Form and Technical Description of a Medical Certificate and the Instructions for Filling In the Medical Certificate,” which required health care institutions to include information regarding a person’s initial and final medical diagnosis, and their associated medical codes, on a person’s medical certificate. The medical …Read more
R (on the application of Axon) v. Secretary of State for Health and Anr.
Country: United KingdomYear: 2006
Court: High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland, Queen's Bench Division
Citation: [2006] EWHC 37 (Admin)
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Health care and health services, Health information, Infectious diseases, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom of expression, Right of access to information, Right to family life, Right to privacy
The Applicant, Sue Axon, alleged that the Family Planning Association violated the rights of parents under article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) (right to respect for private and family life). The Association provided confidential advice and treatment regarding contraception, sexually transmitted infections and abortion to persons under the age of sixteen …Read more
Royal Women’s Hospital v. Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria
Country: AustraliaYear: 2006
Court: Supreme Court of Victoria
Citation: (2006) 15 VR 22; [2006] VSCA 85
Health Topics: Disabilities, Health information, Hospitals, Medical malpractice, Mental health, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right of access to information, Right to privacy
In January 2000, Mrs. X went to the Royal Women’s Hospital (“the Hospital”). She was 32 weeks pregnant, and, after a multiple ultrasounds, it was confirmed that her baby had skeletal dysplasia (“dwarfism”). In February, a fetal reduction procedure was done and the baby was born by stillbirth. After termination, the fetus was found to …Read more
Case 2005-016f
Country: BelgiumYear: 2005
Court: Court constitutionnelle [Constitutional Court of Belgium]C. C., n°2005-016f, 19 January 2005
Citation: C. C., n°2005-016f, 19 January 2005
Health Topics: Health information
Tags: Confidentiality, Disclosure