D.G. v The Netherlands
Country: NetherlandsYear: 2015
Court: Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
Citation: Communication No. 52/2013; UN Doc. CEDAW/C/61/D/52/2013
Health Topics: Poverty, Violence
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to housing, Right to social security
DG, arrived in the Netherlands from Bulgaria in 2007. She worked at a restaurant and then as a prostitute. She stated in her complaint that she left prostitution after a client held her hostage at gunpoint. Unable to pay her rent, DG became homeless in December 2008. DG applied for shelter under the Social Support …Read more
Agency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society International, Inc.
Country: United StatesYear: 2013
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: 570 U.S. ___ (2013)
Health Topics: Health systems and financing, HIV/AIDS, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom of expression
The United States Leadership against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 (Leadership Act), 22 U.S.C. §7601 set forth a strategy to globally combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. Congress authorized the appropriation of billions of dollars to fund efforts by nongovernmental organizations working in this area. The Leadership Act’s conditions stated that: (1) No funds …Read more
Canada (Attorney General) v. Bedford
Country: CanadaYear: 2013
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: 2013 SCC 72
Health Topics: Occupational health, Poverty, Violence
Human Rights: Right to favorable working conditions, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to work
Three applicants, who were all current or former prostitutes, challenged the constitutionality of three provisions of the Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985. The three provisions outlawed “bawdy-houses” (also referred to as brothels), “living on the avails” (living off of a prostitutes profits), and public communication with prostitutes. Prostitution was legal in Canada, however, Parliament was allowed …Read more
Egglestone v. The State
Country: South AfricaYear: 2008
Court: Supreme Court of Appeal
Citation: Egglestone v. The State, [2008] ZASCA 77 (S.Afr.).
Health Topics: Sexual and reproductive health, Violence
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity
Natasha and Nicolette, high school teenagers, were hired as receptionists and lingerie models by the owner of an escort agency. The recruitment took place by means of pamphlets distributed by other female employees. During this interview they learned that the job did not just entail modeling lingerie, but rather working as sex workers. It appears …Read more
Pramod Bhagwan Nayak v. State of Gujarat
Country: IndiaYear: 2006
Court: High Court - Gujarat
Citation: (2007) 1 GLR 796
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Health care and health services, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Poverty, Prisons, Public safety, Sexual and reproductive health, Violence
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to family life, Right to health, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life, Right to privacy
The petitioner was challenging an order of detention for allegedly engaging in trafficking of women and girls. The grounds of the order were that petitioner was an “immoral traffic offender” which is “a person who habitually commits or abets the commission of any offence under the Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Girls Act, …Read more
Jordan, et al. v. State
Country: South AfricaYear: 2002
Court: Constitutional Court
Citation: 13 BHRC 203; [2002] (11) BCLR 1117 (CC)
Health Topics: Poverty
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to privacy, Right to work
On 20 August 1996 a police officer entered a brothel owned by the first appellant in Pretoria, paid R250 to the second appellant and a salaried employee, and received a pelvic massage by the third appellant, a prostitute. All three were charged with contravening s20(1)(aA) of the Sexual Offences Act 1957 (‘the Act’) which criminalised …Read more
BT v. Oei
Country: AustraliaYear: 1999
Court: Supreme Court of New South Wales
Citation: [1999] NSWSC 1082
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Health care and health services, Health information, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Medical malpractice, Mental health, Sexual and reproductive health
The case was brought by BT on behalf of herself and on behalf of the estate of her late husband, AT, against the defendant, a general practitioner, who was AT’s doctor from 26 November 1991 to 22 January 1993. The case arose as a result of the defendant’s alleged negligent failure to diagnose AT’s HIV …Read more