Vega Atencio, Damas v. Ministry of Justice
Country: Costa RicaYear: 2006
Court: Supreme Court of Costa Rica
Citation: Corte Suprema [Supreme Court], Sala Constitucional, 12 de diciembre del 2006, Res. No 2006017867, Expediente: 06-011793-0007-CO (2006)(Costa Rica).
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Controlled substances, Tobacco
Human Rights: Right to a clean environment, Right to health, Right to life
The plaintiff, a Costa Rican national, presented an appeal of protection against the Ministry of Justice claiming his right to health had been violated. The plaintiff was deprived from liberty in a local prison which he claimed was overpopulated and in close contact with persons with chronic diseases. The Ministry of Justice argued that it …Read more
British Columbia v Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd.
Country: CanadaYear: 2005
Court: Supreme Court of Canada
Citation: 2005 SCC 49
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, Tobacco
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial
The Province of British Columbia (BC) passed the Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act (the “Act”) to allow the government to sue tobacco manufacturers for the costs of providing health care to individuals exposed to tobacco products. Under the Act a given manufacturer could be held liable for a proportion of provincial health …Read more
Case 95-81605
Country: FranceYear: 2005
Court: Cour de cassation [Court of Cassation]
Citation: Cass Crim, n°95-81605, 21 February 1996
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Tobacco
Human Rights: Freedom of expression, Right to health
The defendant was the editor of the weekly magazine VSD (Vendredi, Samedi, Dimanche). In this case, VSD appealed a decision of the court of appeals in which the defendant was fined 200,000 francs by the Paris Court of Appeals on 24 February 1995 for complicity in illegal advertisement of tobacco as defined by the laws …Read more
Case 2004-178
Country: BelgiumYear: 2004
Court: Constitutional Court [Court Constiutionelle]
Citation: No. 3046. C. C., n°2004-178, 3 November 2004
Health Topics: Tobacco
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination
The applicant was sentenced for illegal distribution of tobacco products using a vending machine. A Royal Decree stated that tobacco products could only be sold in vending machines if the machine was placed in an area where tobacco products were sold in a traditional manner and accessible to consumers. At the request of the applicant, …Read more
Case 620/2003
Country: MexicoYear: 2004
Court: Supreme Court of Justice of Mexico
Citation: Televisión Azteca, S.A. de C.V. (Amparo en revisión 620/2003), Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación [Supreme Court] (2004) (Mex.).
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Tobacco
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial, Right to work
Petitioner, Televisión Azteca S.A, filed a Writ of Amparo challenging the constitutionality of article 308, section VI of the Public Health Law (broadcasting tobacco advertisements), alleging that it violated the right to work. The section under scrutiny regulates alcoholic beverages and tobacco advertisements prohibiting the real or apparent ingestion or consumption of these products. In …Read more
Case 08587
Country: Costa RicaYear: 2003
Court: Supreme Court of Costa Rica (Constitutional Chamber)
Citation: Corte Suprema [Supreme Court], Sala Constitucional, 19 agosto 2003, Sentencia 08587, Expediente: 03-007202-0007-CO (2003)(Costa Rica).
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Environmental health, Health care and health services, Tobacco
Human Rights: Right to a clean environment, Right to health, Right to life
Petitioners challenged the constitutionality of Article 9 of Costa Rica’s tobacco regulation act, which provided for a partial ban on cigar and cigarette advertisement. In their submission, petitioners claimed the constitutional standard to safeguard the right to health, to life and to a clean environment could not be appropriately fulfilled by such a partial ban, …Read more
Joseph Eryau v. Environmental Action Network Ltd. (No. 1)
Country: UgandaYear: 2001
Court: High Court at Kampala
Citation: Civil Application No. 470 of 2001, Arising from Miscellaneous Application No. 39 of 2001
Health Topics: Public safety, Tobacco
Human Rights: Right to a clean environment, Right to life
Applicant Joseph Eryau made a motion to be heard in opposition to Application No. 39/2001. The declarations being sought in the motion of Application No. 39/2001 would state that “smoking in a public place constitutes a violation of the rights of the non-smoking members of the public to a clean and healthy environment as prescribed …Read more
Joseph Eryau v. Environmental Action Network Ltd. (No. 2)
Country: UgandaYear: 2001
Court: High Court at Kampala
Citation: Civil Application No. 39 of 2001, Arising from Miscellaneous Application No. 39 of 2001
Health Topics: Environmental health, Public safety, Tobacco
Human Rights: Right to a clean environment
Applicant Joseph Eryau made a motion to be heard in opposition to Application No. 39/2001. Of the five declarations proposed in the motion of Application No. 39/2001, all but two were struck down (including those orders which criminalized smoking in public places). The remaining two proposed that “smoking in a public place constitutes a violation …Read more
Murli S. Deora v. Union Of India and Others
Country: IndiaYear: 2001
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: (2001) 8 SCC 765; AIR 2002 SC 40; 2002 (1) ALD 88 SC; 2001 (6) ALT 35 SC
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Environmental health, Tobacco
Human Rights: Right to a clean environment, Right to health, Right to life
Tobacco related diseases caused an estimated eight hundred thousand deaths in India per year, with treatment of tobacco caused diseases resulting in a loss of Rs. 13,500 Crores annually. The World Health Organisation estimated that up to seven million deaths, worldwide, per year were attributable to tobacco related disease, of which sixty million deaths occurred …Read more
R v. Secretary of State for Health and Ors., ex parte Imperial Tobacco Ltd and Ors.
Country: United KingdomYear: 2001
Court: House of Lords
Citation: [2001] 1 All ER 850
Health Topics: Tobacco
In July 1998, the European Parliament and the Council created and enacted a Council Directive (“directive”) to ban all forms of advertising or sponsorship that directly or indirectly promoted a tobacco product in the Community. In December 1998, the UK government announced its intention to implement the directive by banning tobacco advertising, as permitted by …Read more