Case 43/2005 (XI. 14)
Country: HungaryYear: 2005
Court: Constitutional Court
Health Topics: Aging, Health information, Informed consent, Mental health, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to bodily integrity, Right to family life, Right to privacy
The case involved two petitions that required the Constitutional Court to examine certain elements that imposed regulations on sterilization. The first petitioner challenged the constitutionality of the Minister of Health Decree 12/1987 (VIII. 19.) EüM on Sterilization (hereinafter “D1”), which imposed certain restrictions (related to age and number of prior blood children) on a person …Read more
R v. Dica
Country: United KingdomYear: 2004
Court: Supreme Court of Judicature, Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
Citation: [2004] EWCA Crim 1103
Health Topics: HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Sexual and reproductive health, Violence
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity
The Appellant, Dica, was HIV-positive. He engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse with two women. Both women tested positive for HIV subsequent to their sexual encounters with the Appellant. It was not clear whether the women were aware of the Appellant’s HIV status at the time of the encounters. The prosecution did not argue that the …Read more
Liga de Amas de Casa, Consumidores y Usuarios de la República Argentina et al. v. GCBA
Country: ArgentinaYear: 2003
Court: Superior Court of Justice of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires [Tribunal Superior de Justicia de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires]
Citation: Expte. nº 480/00
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Health information, HIV/AIDS, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Right of access to information, Right to family life, Right to life
The League of Housewives, Consumers and Users of Argentina [Liga de Amas de Casa, Consumidores y Usuarios de la República Argentina] requested that judiciary declare that articles 5 and 7 of Act 418 and its amendment 439 of the City of Buenos Aires were contrary to the National Constitution. The Plaintiff alleged that under the …Read more
Portal de Belén v. Ministerio de Salud y Acción Social
Country: ArgentinaYear: 2002
Court: Supreme Court of Justice [Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación Argentina]
Citation: P. 709. XXXVI.
Health Topics: Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Right to life
The plaintiff, a non profit organization that defended the life of children, filed a guarantee of protection of individual constitutional rights (amparo protection) against the National Ministry of Health and Social Service calling for the prohibition of the manufacture and distribution of an emergency contraceptive pill called “Inmediat” for its alleged “abortive effects”. The First …Read more
BT v. Oei
Country: AustraliaYear: 1999
Court: Supreme Court of New South Wales
Citation: [1999] NSWSC 1082
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Health care and health services, Health information, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Medical malpractice, Mental health, Sexual and reproductive health
The case was brought by BT on behalf of herself and on behalf of the estate of her late husband, AT, against the defendant, a general practitioner, who was AT’s doctor from 26 November 1991 to 22 January 1993. The case arose as a result of the defendant’s alleged negligent failure to diagnose AT’s HIV …Read more
R v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, ex parte Glen Fielding
Country: United KingdomYear: 1999
Court: High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division
Citation: [1999] EWHC Admin 641
Health Topics: HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Medicines, Prisons, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to health
In 1996, Glen Fielding was sentenced to four years imprisonment. Whilst incarcerated, Fielding, a man who had sex with men, requested condoms but was refused on the basis that it was against Prison Service policy to provide condoms to a prisoner who was not HIV-positive; there was no evidence that Fielding was HIV positive. The …Read more
Department of Health & Community Services v JWB & SMB (“Marion’s Case”)
Country: AustraliaYear: 1992
Court: High Court
Citation: (1992) 175 CLR 218; [1992] HCA 15
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Disabilities, Informed consent, Mental health, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to bodily integrity, Right to life, Right to privacy
“Marion” was a fourteen year old girl with an “intellectual disability”, severe deafness, epilepsy, an ataxic gait and “behavioural problems”. She could not care for herself. Her parents proposed that Marion undertake a hysterectomy and an ovarienectomy (the Procedures). The hysterectomy was proposed to prevent natural pregnancy and menstruation and the psychological and behavioural consequences …Read more
E. (Mrs.) v. Eve
Country: CanadaYear: 1986
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: [1986] 2 S.C.R. 388
Health Topics: Informed consent, Mental health, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to bodily integrity
Eve was a mentally disabled young woman suffering from a condition that made it extremely difficult for her to communicate with others. She was not capable of understanding the consequential relationship between intercourse, pregnancy and birth. Mrs. E, her mother, was concerned that Eve might innocently become pregnant, which would mean that she, an elderly …Read more
Gillick v. West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority and Anr.
Country: United KingdomYear: 1985
Court: House of Lords
Citation: [1985] 3 All ER 402
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Health care and health services, Health information, Informed consent, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to family life
The Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) issued a memorandum of guidance to local health authorities that stated that, inter alia, “consultations between doctors and patients are confidential,” even for children less than 16. The memorandum noted that while “it would be most unusual,” a doctor could advise the child regarding contraception without parental …Read more
Brüggemann and Scheuten v. Germany
Country: GermanyYear: 1977
Court: European Commission on Human Rights
Citation: Brüggemann v. F.R.G., App. No . 6959/75, 3 Eur. H.R. Rep. 244 (1977).
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom of association, Freedom of religion, Right to family life, Right to life, Right to privacy
In 1975, the Constitutional Court of Germany struck down a law that decriminalized abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. The applicants claimed that the resulting amendment to the German criminal code, which criminalized abortion (except under certain circumstances) in the first trimester of pregnancy violated Article 8 (right to a private life) of the European Convention on …Read more