Mockute v. Lithuania
Country: LithuaniaYear: 2018
Court: The European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 66490/09
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health information, Hospitals, Mental health, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom of religion, Right to privacy
The applicant suffered from an acute paranoid reaction disorder. She was taken to the Kaunas Psychiatric Hospital by her parents and at their request in 1992; she continued her treatment at another psychiatric hospital. The applicant had joined a religious sect before her first treatment, and her parents stated that she had become disoriented after …Read more
Pellett (Re)
Country: CanadaYear: 2017
Court: Ontario Court of Appeal
Citation: 2017 ONCA 753
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Health care and health services, Informed consent, Medicines, Mental health
Human Rights: Freedom of movement and residence, Right to liberty and security of person
The appellant was a 62 year old female diagnosed with schizophrenia. She had a long-standing history of hospitalization, treatment, release, de-compensation, relapse, and re-admission. When psychotic, the appellant had a history of troubling behaviour, including attempts to divert traffic, throwing objects out of a window, crashing her car and smashing other cars with brooms. The …Read more
Thompson v Ontario (Attorney General)
Country: CanadaYear: 2016
Court: Ontario Court of Appeal
Citation: 2016 ONCA 676
The applicants appealed a decision affirming the constitutionality of Brian’s Law (Mental Health Legislative Reform), 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 9. (“Brian’s Law”), which was enacted by the Ontario legislature in 2000. Brian’s Law amended the Mental Health Act (“MHA”), adding provisions that expanded criteria for involuntary committal in a psychiatric hospital and introduced community treatment …Read more
Devika Biswas v. Union of India
Country: IndiaYear: 2016
Court: The Supreme Court of India
Citation: (2016) 10 SCC 726
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Hospitals, Informed consent, Medical malpractice, Sexual and reproductive health, Water, sanitation and hygiene
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to bodily integrity, Right to health
The petitioner in the present case claimed that a sterilization camp managed by an NGO in Bihar was conducting sterilization without following any proper protocol. More than 50 women had undergone sterilization at the camp without being provided any kind of counseling and information about the procedure. The procedure of the sterilization was highly unsanitary; …Read more
Association for the Defence of Human Rights in Romania-Helsinki Committee on Behalf of Ionel Garcea v. Romania
Country: RomaniaYear: 2015
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 2959/11
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Health care and health services, Infectious diseases, Informed consent, Medical malpractice, Mental health, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to life
The applicant was a Romanian NGO known as the Association for the Defence of Human Rights in Romania-Helsinki Committee (“Association”), representing a deceased party, Ionel Garcea. Garcea was a mentally ill prisoner who died in prison. During his sentence, he made a number of complaints about his treatment, with the Association representing him. In June …Read more
Carter v. Canada (Attorney General)
Country: CanadaYear: 2015
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: 2015 SCC 5
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Controlled substances, Disabilities, Informed consent, Mental health
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life
After Plaintiff Gloria Taylor was diagnosed with a terminal illness in 2009, she challenged the constitutionality of the Canadian Criminal Code Section 241(b), which prohibited assistance in dying. The trial court held that the law was unconstitutional and granted Taylor an exemption from the law. The Court of Appeal reversed, basing their decision on the …Read more
D., M. A. s/ declaración de incapacidad
Country: ArgentinaYear: 2015
Court: Supreme Court of Justice [Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación Argentina]
Citation: D 376 XLIX. REX
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Disabilities, Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, Hospitals, Informed consent
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to health, Right to life, Right to privacy
The plaintiffs, the legal guardians of their brother, filed a complaint so that the Court order the withdrawal of enteral tube feeding and hydration of their brother that artificially keep him with life. The patient in October 23 of 1994 suffered a car accident that left him in a permanent vegetative state. His representatives based …Read more
In the Matter of the Law on Termination of Pregnancy in Northern Ireland
Country: United KingdomYear: 2015
Court: The High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland, Queen’s Bench Division
Citation: [2015] NIQB 96; 2014 No. 125661/01
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Disabilities, Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, Informed consent, Sexual and reproductive health, Violence
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to life, Right to privacy
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (“Commission”) brought an application alleging that the rights of women in Northern Ireland who are or become pregnant with a serious malformation of the fetus (SMF), fatal fetal abnormality (FFA) or who are pregnant as a result of sexual crimes were being breached by Section 58 and Section 59 …Read more
Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust v. C and V
Country: United KingdomYear: 2015
Court: Court of Protection
Citation: [2015] EWCOP 80
Health Topics: Hospitals, Informed consent, Mental health
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity
The Kings College Hospital challenged respondent C’s ability to decide to end life-saving treatment, effectively choosing to die, by alleging that she lacked mental capacity. C had attempted to commit suicide by ingesting 60 paracetamol tablets with champagne. She made this decision shortly after undergoing treatment for breast cancer and ending of a long term …Read more
Lambert and Ors. v. France
Country: FranceYear: 2015
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 46043/14
Health Topics: Health systems and financing, Informed consent
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to family life, Right to life
The applicants appealed a decision to terminate artificial nutrition and hydration for their son, who was in a chronic vegetative state. In 2013, Mr. Lambert’s doctor and wife initiated proceedings to terminate care under the Act of 22 April 2005 (“Act”), which amended provisions of the Public Health Code (“Code”). However, the applicants received an …Read more