W v. Egdell
Country: United KingdomYear: 1990
Court: Court of Appeal, Civil Division
Citation: [1989] EWCA Civ 13; [1990] 2 WLR 471; [1990] Ch 359; [1990] 1 All ER 835
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health information, Mental health
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial, Right to privacy
W pled guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility for the indiscriminate killing of several people. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was detained indefinitely in mental hospitals. A Mental Health Tribunal recommended W’s transfer to a regional secure unit (“RSU”) in 1984. The Secretary of State refused to consent to W’s …Read more
Soering v. United Kingdom
Country: United KingdomYear: 1989
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: 161 Eur. Ct. H.R. (ser. A) (1989)
Health Topics: Mental health, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to due process/fair trial, Right to life
Jens Soering was a German national who came to the United States to study at the University of Virginia. While there, he became friends with Elizabeth Haysom, a Canadian national. Haysom’s parents did not approve of Soering and Haysom’s relationship. In March 1985 the couple made plans to kill Haysom’s parents. They rented a car …Read more
R v. Dyment
Country: CanadaYear: 1988
Court: Supreme Court of Canada
Citation: [1988] 2 SCR 417
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Health care and health services, Health information, Hospitals, Informed consent
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial, Right to privacy
The respondent had an accident and suffered a head laceration. A police officer drove the respondent to the hospital where the doctor collected free-flowing blood for medical purposes from the respondent who was unconscious. He gave the blood to a police officer who did not have a search warrant or patient consent. The patient was …Read more