Three Namibian women who were all pregnant and HIV-positive were sterilized at State hospitals after giving birth. The women claimed they were sterilized without their informed consent, and that they were sterilized due to their HIV-positive status. The first woman said that her doctor (through her nurse) told her that all HIV-positive women must have …Read more
The respondents, three Namibian HIV positive pregnant women, were sterilized while undergoing emergency caesareans. The respondents each signed a consent form, which included consent to the caesarean operation and sterilization through bilateral tubal ligation (BLT) but claimed that they did not provide informed consent which is required for sterilization to be considered lawful. The first …Read more
The Minister of Health and Social Services issued regulations for the Medicines Act that created a licensing scheme for medical practitioners to be able to continue to dispense certain medicine. It also established a three-month transitional grace period, where medical practitioners already dispensing medicine could apply for the license and continue dispensing medicine while their …Read more
Dr. Lisse, a private medical practitioner, challenged the Minister of Health and Social Services’ (Minister) decision to deny him authorization to conduct surgeries at the Windhoek State Hospital. Lisse was a registered medical practitioner and specialist obstetrician and gynecologist authorized to practice under the Medical and Dental Professions Act, 1993. He opened a private practice …Read more
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Namibia prompted the Government of Namibia to issue Guidelines for the Implementation of a National Code on HIV/AIDS in Employment (Guidelines), which extended nondiscrimination provisions to enlistment procedures of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF). In part, the Guidelines aimed to counteract prejudices and ignorance surrounding the nature and cause of HIV/AIDS, …Read more
The respondent was tried for one count of rape and one of abduction for assaulting an 11-year-old girl, having sex with her and forcing her to sleep with him for the next three nights. In finding him not guilty the trial judge applied the cautionary rule, which required the court both to recognize the inherent …Read more