Melnik v. Ukraine
Country: UkraineYear: 2006
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: App. No. 72286/01, Eur. Ct. H.R. (2006).
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Health care and health services, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Medicines, Mental health, Prisons, Water, sanitation and hygiene
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to due process/fair trial
The applicant, a private citizen of Ukraine, was convicted in the Vinnytsia District Court for the unlawful possession of a quantity of opium with the premeditated intent to sell along with a group of persons. The District Court sentenced the applicant to five years imprisonment. During the trial, the applicant had refused the representation of …Read more
J.V. v. Flemish Government
Country: BelgiumYear: 2005
Court: Constitutional Court of Belgium [Cour constitutionnelle]
Citation: Case 2005-016F, 19 January 2005
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Health information
Human Rights: Right to privacy
J.V. filed an action in the Belgian Constitutional Court to annul article 40.6, line 2, of the Flemish Parliament’s Act of 1991 on the practice of sport with respect to health imperatives. He stated that the impugned provision that required the publication of details on a government website such as the name, date of birth …Read more
Case 54/2004 (XII.13.)
Country: HungaryYear: 2004
Court: Constitutional Court
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Controlled substances
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to bodily integrity, Right to health, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life, Right to privacy
Five petitions brought separate challenges to Act IV of 1978 on the Hungarian Criminal Code (“Act”) related to the misuse of narcotic drugs. They argued that the Parliament had failed to ensure the exercise of the right to self-determination when it ordered the punishment of the production and cultivation of a small amount of narcotic …Read more
McGlinchey and Ors. v. United Kingdom
Country: United KingdomYear: 2003
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: McGlinchey v. U.K., App. No. 50390/99, 37 EHRR 41 (2003).
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, Medicines, Prisons, Tobacco
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to health, Right to life
Applicants, family members of an individual addicted to heroin who died in prison, alleged that the State violated Articles 3 (freedom from torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment) and 13 (right to effective remedy) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) because the prisoner, Ms. …Read more
R v. Malmo-Levine; R v. Caine
Country: CanadaYear: 2003
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: [2003] 3 SCR 571
Health Topics: Controlled substances
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to liberty and security of person
M described himself as a “marijuana/freedom activist” helping to operate a co-operative, non-profit association seeking to minimize the harm caused by marijuana use. The police raided the organisation’s premises and seized 300 grams of marijuana. M was charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking pursuant to section 4(2) Narcotics Control Act 1985 …Read more
Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires v. Estado Nacional (Ministerio de Salud y Acción Social)
Country: ArgentinaYear: 2001
Court: Supreme Court of Justice [Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación Argentina]
Citation: H. 90. XXXIV
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, HIV/AIDS
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to bodily integrity, Right to health, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life, Right to property
Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires, a private health service provider, filled a guarantee of protection of individual constitutional rights (amparo protection) against the Federal State requiring the judiciary to declare that the National Act 24.754 was contrary to articles 14, 17, 28 and 33 of the National Constitution. The law obliged private health service providers …Read more
Condron v. United Kingdom
Country: United KingdomYear: 2000
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: App. No. 35718/97, 31 Eur. H.R. Rep. 1 (2001).
Health Topics: Controlled substances
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial
The applicants, who were heroine addicts, had been arrested and convicted for drug related offences. Upon their arrest, the solicitor had maintained that they were unfit to be interviewed as they were displaying early stages of heroine withdrawal. However, the Force Medical Examiner assessed both applicants as fit to be interviewed. Both applicants failed to …Read more
R v. Parker
Country: CanadaYear: 2000
Court: Ontario Court of Appeal
Citation: [2000] OJ No. 2787, 135 OAC 1
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Controlled substances, Health care and health services, Hospitals, Informed consent, Medicines
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to health, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life
Terrance Parker suffered from severe epilepsy since he was a young child. He could substantially reduce the incidence of seizures by smoking marihuana, but he had no legal source of marihuana. Parker was charged with cultivating marihuana under the Narcotic Control Act and with possession of marihuana under the new Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. …Read more
Strykiwsky v. Mills (in his capacity as Warden of Stony Mountain Institution)
Country: CanadaYear: 2000
Court: Federal Court - Trial Division
Citation: Court File no. T-389-00
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Health care and health services, Medicines, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination
The applicant was an inmate of Warkworth prison and a long time heroin addict. While an inmate, the applicant sought to overcome this addiction. The Correctional Service of Canada had a 2-phase program to address addiction cases. Phase I provided regular doses of methadone “only to those entering federal prison… already enrolled in a community …Read more
Aerts v. Belgium
Country: BelgiumYear: 1998
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 25357/94; (1998) 29 EHRR 50; [1998] ECHR 64; 5 BHRC 382; [1998] HRCD 749; (2000) 53 BMLR 79
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Health care and health services, Mental health, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to due process/fair trial, Right to liberty and security of person
Michael Aerts, complained his continued detention in the psychiatric wing of a prison pending his transfer to the Social Protection Centre breached the right to liberty and security of person in article 5(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the right to fair hearing under article 6(1) of the ECHR, and the prohibition …Read more