A.S. v. Hungary
Country: HungaryYear: 2006
Court: Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Citation: Communication No. 4/2004, U.N. Doc. CEDAW/C/36/D/4/2004 (July 14, 2006).
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Hospitals, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right of access to information, Right to family life, Right to health
A.S., a Hungarian-Roma woman in labor, was taken to a public hospital in shock and bleeding heavily. Because the fetus was dead, attending personnel informed her that a caesarean section was needed to remove the fetus. While on the operating table, she was asked to sign a statement of consent, including a hand-written note requesting …Read more
Falcón, María Liliana v. Hospital Vidal
Country: ArgentinaYear: 2006
Court: Superior Provincial Court of Justice in the Province of Corrientes [Superior Tribunal de Justicia de Corrientes]
Citation: Falcon Maria Liliana c/ Hospital Vidal de la ciudad de Corrientes y/o Ministerio de Salud Publia de Corrientes y/o Estado de la Provincia Decorrientes s/ Amparo, Expediente Nº 25438/05, Superior Tribunal de Justicia de Corrientes (STJ Ctes.)(Superior Tribunal of Justice: highest provincial court in the province of Corrientes), 12/4/2006 (Arg.).
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, Informed consent, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to family life, Right to health, Right to liberty and security of person
Falcon María Liliana filed anguarantee of protection of individual constitutional rights (amparo protection) against a hospital in Argentina for refusing to perform a sterilization procedure during the birth of her seventh child. The plaintiff had requested doctors to perform a ligation of her Fallopian tubes, and/or any other necessary procedure, during a planned caesarean section …Read more
Gonzales v. Oregon
Country: United StatesYear: 2006
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: 546 U.S. 243 (2006)
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Controlled substances, Health care and health services, Informed consent, Medicines, Mental health
The state of Oregon legalized a physician-assisted suicide law. This law exempts state-licensed physicians who “dispense or prescribe a lethal dose of drugs upon the request of a terminally ill patient” from civil or criminal liability. The law required that the patient must have a diagnosis of an incurable and irreversible disease that reasonably will cause …Read more
Sesana v. Attorney General
Country: BotswanaYear: 2006
Court: High Court - Lobatse
Citation: Misca. No. 52 of 2002
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Diet and nutrition, Health care and health services, Infectious diseases, Informed consent, Water, sanitation and hygiene
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom of movement and residence, Right to due process/fair trial, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life, Right to participation, Right to property
In March 2002, the Botswana Government terminated certain basic services to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), including access to: Drinking water; Maintenance of borehole water; Rations to registered destitute; Rations to registered orphans; Transport for the applicants’ children to and from school; and Healthcare to the applicants through mobile clinics and ambulance services. The …Read more
AB v. The Attorney-General for the State of Victoria
Country: AustraliaYear: 2005
Court: Supreme Court of Victoria
Citation: (2005) 12 VR 485; [2005] VSC 180
Health Topics: Informed consent, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to due process/fair trial
AB’s husband passed away from a motor vehicle accident in the state of Victoria. The couple usually resided in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). In vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment was available in the ACT, but s 43 of the Infertility Treatment Act 1995 (IT Act) prohibited the use of a dead man’s sperm for a …Read more
Case 01-03259
Country: FranceYear: 2005
Court: Cour de cassation [Court of Cassation]
Citation: Cass civ I, n°01-03259, 6 May 2003
Health Topics: Hospitals, Informed consent, Sexual and reproductive health
A woman being treated by Polyclinic requested that two doctors from outside the clinic to come to treat her child. The polyclinic did not allow the two pediatric specialists to practice in the clinic. The Court of Appeal held that the polyclinic had violated L. 1111-1 of the Public Health Code and L.162-2 of the …Read more
Case 02-10957
Country: FranceYear: 2005
Court: Cour de cassation [Court of Cassation]
Citation: Cass civ I, n°02-10957, 7 December 2004
Health Topics: Informed consent, Medical malpractice
Human Rights: Right of access to information
After a tympanoplasty procedure provided by Dr. Y, Mrs. X suffered from partial facial paralysis. Mrs. X sought damages for the entire facial paralysis that she suffered, claiming that Dr. Y had violated the doctor’s duty to fully inform patients of the potential consequences of a medical procedure. The lower court awarded Mrs. X damages, and …Read more
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
Case 94-19685
Country: FranceYear: 2005
Court: Cour de cassation [Court of Cassation]
Citation: Cass Civ I, n°94-19685, 25 February 1997
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health information, Informed consent, Medical malpractice
Human Rights: Right of access to information
After a colonoscopy, a patient suffered from intestinal perforation. The patient sued the doctor for not having provided information on the possible risks of the surgery to him prior to the surgery. The Court of Appeal held that the patient had the burden to prove that the doctor had breached his duty to inform, and …Read more
Case 97-10267
Country: FranceYear: 2005
Court: Cour de cassation [Court of Cassation]
Citation: Appeal No. 97-10267. Cass civ I, 7 October 1998.
Health Topics: Health information, Informed consent, Medical malpractice
Human Rights: Right of access to information, Right to health
Mrs. X was treated for persistent kyphosis (curvature of the spine) by Dr. Y. After her spinal graft operation, she developed a problem with her eye known as cavernous sinus thrombosis. As a result, she lost sight in her left eye. Mrs. X sued Dr. Y for failing to inform her about all of the risks …Read more