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
Maria Mamerita Mestanza Chavez v. Peru
Country: PeruYear: 2003
Court: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Citation: Report No. 66/00, Case 12.191, October 3, 2000; OEA/Ser./L/V/II.111, doc. 20 rev., 16 April 2001
Health Topics: Informed consent, Medical malpractice, Poverty, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to bodily integrity, Right to health, Right to life
A group of NGOs lodged a petition with the Commission alleging that Peru violated Maria Mamérita Mestanza Chávez’s rights on account of a forced sterilization that resulted in her death. Peru implemented a family planning policy involving compulsory and systematic sterilization in order to modify the reproductive behavior of the population. Poor, indigenous, and rural …Read more
STC 215/1994
Country: SpainYear: 1994
Court: Constitutional Court
Health Topics: Infectious diseases, Mental health, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to bodily integrity, Right to life
The parents of a mentally-disabled woman requested that the court authorize the sterilization of their daughter. According to the Article 428 of the Criminal Code made in accordance with Article 6 LO 3/89 of 21 June (the “challenged provision”), sterilization of a disabled person who suffered from serious psychological deficiency would not be unlawful if the …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
Walker v. Pierce
Country: United StatesYear: 1977
Court: United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
Citation: Walker v. Pierce 560 F.2d 609 (4th Cir. 1977)
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Informed consent, Medical malpractice, Poverty, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to bodily integrity, Right to family life, Right to health, Right to privacy
Plaintiff Virgil Walker filed suit against Defendant, Clovis H. Pierce, the attending obstetrician at Aiken County Hospital in South Carolina, seeking damages and declaratory and injunctive relief for a violation of her civil rights under the 1st, 4th, 5th 8th, 9th, 13th, and 14th amendments. Virgil Walker, an African American woman on Medicaid, went to …Read more