Hall v. Florida
Country: United StatesYear: 2014
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: 572 U.S. ___ (2014); 134 S.Ct. 1986
Health Topics: Disabilities, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
The petitioner and his accomplice kidnapped, beat, raped, and murdered a pregnant woman before driving to a convenience store, which they planned to rob. In the parking lot of the store, they killed a sheriff’s deputy who attempted to apprehend them. The petitioner received the death penalty for both murders. He argued that he could …Read more
M.H. v. United Kingdom
Country: United KingdomYear: 2014
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 11577/06
Health Topics: Mental health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to due process/fair trial, Right to liberty and security of person
The applicant was severely disabled as a result of Down’s Syndrome. The applicant lived with her mother, her nearest relative. She often exhibited difficult behavior and towards the end of 2002 social workers had become extremely concerned about the impact on the physical and mental health of the applicant and her mother. On 31 January …Read more
Shatrughan Chauhan and another v. Union of India and others
Country: IndiaYear: 2014
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: Writ Petition 55 of 2013
Health Topics: Mental health, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life
Fifteen criminal convicts sentenced to the death penalty challenged their sentences as in violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which protects the right to life. They claimed that the executive orders rejecting their mercy petitions were passed without considering supervening events, including delay, insanity, solitary confinement, and procedural lapses. Two convicts alleged that the …Read more
Zierd v. Germany
Country: GermanyYear: 2014
Court: The European Court of Human Rights
Citation: App. No. 75095/11
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Hospitals, Medicines, Mental health
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity
Ms. Rosel Zierd filed an application claiming that the psychiatric medication administered against her late son’s will violated her own and her late son’s Convention rights. On May 31, 2006, Ms. Zierd’s son, H, was found by the Meiningen Regional Court to have committed a number of traffic offenses, including involuntary manslaughter. The court determined …Read more
B. v. Romania (no. 2)
Country: RomaniaYear: 2013
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 1285/03
Health Topics: Disabilities, Informed consent, Mental health
Human Rights: Right to family life, Right to privacy
The applicant, M.B., filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights for a violation of (1) laws concerning compulsory admission to psychiatric hospitals and (2) laws concerning decisions in child-rearing where the parent or guardian’s mental capacity is in question. M.B. was diagnosed in 2000 with paranoid schizophrenia. As a result of her …Read more
Case EAND/0895/02/13
Country: ArmeniaYear: 2013
Court: Civil Court of Appeal [Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Վերաքննիչ քաղաքացիական դատարան]
Citation: Case № ԵԱՆԴ/0895/02/13
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Hospitals, Informed consent, Mental health
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial, Right to liberty and security of person
The appellant, Zhuleta Amarikyan, was compulsorily committed to inpatient psychiatric treatment on the request of the head of the psychiatric clinic. Amarikyan was diagnosed with acute delirium syndrome and was described as being a danger to herself and others and unable to control her actions. At the time of the trial of Amarikyan’s commitment, Amarikyan …Read more
Petukhova v. Russia
Country: RussiaYear: 2013
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 28796/07
Health Topics: Informed consent, Mental health
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial, Right to liberty and security of person
Applicant, Petukhova, argued that she was deprived of her liberty when she was forced to have an involuntary examination. She alleged that this violated Article 5 § 1 (b) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“Convention”), which protects the right to liberty and security of person. In December 2005, …Read more
Re SB
Country: United KingdomYear: 2013
Court: Court of Protection
Citation: [2013] EWHC 1417 (COP)
Health Topics: Hospitals, Informed consent, Medicines, Mental health, Sexual and reproductive health
A pregnant 37-year-old woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder was compulsorily detained under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983. She had been on and off medication for 8 years and had suffered both remissions and relapses, due to which she was detained at various times in Italy, France and in England where she currently …Read more
Slattery v. Manningham City Council
Country: AustraliaYear: 2013
Court: Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Human Rights Division
Citation: [2013] VCAT 1869
Health Topics: Disabilities, Mental health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination
Mr. Slattery brought this action in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (“the Tribunal”) alleging that the City Council of Manningham (“the Council”) had unfairly discriminated against him based on his disability. Slattery suffered from a series of mental impairments including bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, he acquired a …Read more
Thompson, et al. v. Ontario
Country: CanadaYear: 2013
Court: Ontario Superior Court of Justice
Citation: 2013 ONSC 5392
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, Mental health, Public safety
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to life
The Court examined the constitutionality of Brian’s Law, which was passed in 2000 after a man named Brian Smith was fatally shot by an untreated schizophrenic. The law included expanded committal criteria and allowed for involuntary admission for individuals who had experienced “substantial mental deterioration,”even if they were not necessarily a danger to others. In …Read more