L, a women’s rights advocacy group, filed two petitions dealing with the constitutional validity of sections of the Ugandan Penal Code Act regarding adultery and sections of the Succession Act regarding gender equality in succession and inheritance. L argued that s 154 of the Penal Code Act was inconsistent with Articles 20,[1] 21,[2] 24,[3] 26,[4] …Read more

A publishing company published a biography on a South African member of parliament that disclosed the names of three women who were HIV-positive. The three women alleged that their names had been published in the book without their prior consent having been obtained. They had participated in clinical trials, known as the FTC 302 trials, directed …Read more

The author, VDA is a resident of Argentina and makes this communication on behalf of her daughter LMR who suffers from permanent mental impairment, attends special school and receives neurological care. In June 2006, the author took LMR to Guernica hospital because she was not feeling well at the hospital it was discovered that she …Read more

In this constitutional challenge, the Applicants, including the Affordable Medicines Trust, applied for leave to appeal directly to the Constitutional Court an order of the High Court, which dismissed their constitutional challenge of certain aspects of a Government licensing scheme. The licensing scheme provided that health care providers, such as medical practitioners and dentists, could …Read more

This is an application for leave to appeal an interim implementation order. In the main application fifteen prisoners were successful in compelling the State to provide them, and other similarly situated prisoners living with HIV/AIDS, with antiretroviral (ARV) treatment while they were incarcerated at the Westville Correctional Centre (WCC) in KwaZulu-Natal province. The Respondents filed …Read more

An urgent application was filed on behalf of fifteen prisoners living with HIV/AIDS who required antiretroviral (ARV) treatment while incarcerated at the Westville Correctional Centre (WCC) in KwaZulu-Natal province. The Applicants were acting in their individual capacities and as representatives of the class of prisoners incarcerated at WCC. The sixteenth applicant was the Treatment Action …Read more

On 2 September 2005, Momentum Group and African Life Health (ALH) applied to the Competition Commission (Commission) for the approval of a merger between them. On 9 November 2002, the merger was unconditionally approved by the Commission and referred to the Competition Tribunal (Tribunal) for final approval. On 12 December 2005, after a hearing with …Read more

About one hundred residents of the Kiserian township were approved to construct residential-cum-commercial buildings by county officials, including health officials. A public health officer investigated reports of “indiscriminate discharge of offensive smelling waste matters within the trading centre flowing out of various premises into open channels along the road to the environment and to the …Read more

Plaintiffs sought a permanent injunction to prevent Defendants from continuing to construct a slaughterhouse situated next to their homes, claiming that such construction violated certain environmental statutory provisions and Plaintiffs’ basic right to a clean and healthy environment. The slaughterhouse was almost completely built but had not started operating at the time of the suit. …Read more

The applicant was a detainee seeking: (1) a declaration that her arrest was unlawful under the Constitution of Gambia (the “Constitution”); (2) a declaration that her subsequent detention was unlawful and unconstitutional; and (3) an order for release. The applicant was arrested at her residence on April 6, 2006 in relation with a suspected attempted …Read more

In March 2002, the Botswana Government terminated certain basic services to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), including access to: Drinking water; Maintenance of borehole water; Rations to registered destitute; Rations to registered orphans; Transport for the applicants’ children to and from school; and Healthcare to the applicants through mobile clinics and ambulance services. The …Read more

Rosaria Mashita Katakwe, a 13-year-old girl, was raped by her teacher Edward Hakasenke. She developed a sexually transmitted infection as a result of the rape and tested for HIV/AIDS. The Headmaster of the school had been warned before with respect to a prior relationship of the teacher with another girl in the school. The defendant …Read more

The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, a coalition of twelve human rights organizations, alleged that the Government of Zimbabwe and supporters of the ruling ZANU (PF) political party engaged in a systematic campaign of intimidation leading up to a Constitutional Referendum held in February of 2000, as well as in the months following its fifth …Read more

The complainants were six Chadian nationals living in Chad who alleged they had been tortured by the agents of the state answerable directly to the then President of Chad, Hissène Habré. They lodged a complaint in January 2000 against Habré in Senegal, where he had taken refuge. The complaint was dismissed on the grounds of …Read more

N, a member of the Krobo tribe, died intestate with the result that his property was automatically devolved to his five children including his two married daughters M and P. According to the ‘fia’ custom of the Krobo tribe, a woman who contracted a lawful marriage was disqualified from inheriting any portion of her father’s …Read more

RM’s mother was living with, but not married to, RM’s father at the time of her birth. Although RM’s father paid hospital expenses for her birth, shortly thereafter, RM’s father ceased contact with RM’s mother and provided no parental support. Under section 24(3) of the Children Act (the “Act”), only parents that were married had …Read more

The applicant challenged the validity of four draft bills relating to health rights. One bill allowed registered nurses to perform abortions at certain public and private facilities. The applicant alleged that the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and the provincial legislatures failed to fulfill their respective obligations under sections 72(1)(a) and 118(1)(a) of the Constitution …Read more

The applicant, the Doctors for Life International, filed a claim against the National Council of Provinces. The applicant contended that according to the South African Constitution and International Law, public hearings must be held in respect to all legislation under consideration by a legislative branch whether at the national or provincial level. In the case …Read more

This case involved the regulation of fees for the dispensing of medicines by public and private pharmacies. The first Applicant (the Minister) had made and published the Regulations Relating to a Transparent Pricing System for Medicines and Scheduled Substances (the Regulations) under the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965 (the Medicines Act). The …Read more

The Competition Tribunal examined a merger between Medicross Healthcare Group (Pty) Ltd (Medicross) and Prime Cure Holdings (Pty) Ltd, companies providing primary care healthcare services to medical aid schemes. The transaction envisaged that Medicross would acquire the entire share capital of, and loan claims against, Prime Cure. Prime Cure manages and administers 45 primary healthcare …Read more

The Competition Commissioner initiated a complaint and undertook an investigation into an alleged prohibited practice by the Respondent, Board of Healthcare Funders of Southern Africa. Respondent was an association that represented approximately 85% of medical aid schemes in South Africa that, among other things, determined, recommended and published benchmark tariffs for health care services annually. …Read more

Applicants, residents of Iwherekan community in the Delta State of Nigeria, applied for an order enforcing their fundamental right to life and dignity of human person as provided by sections 22(1) and 34(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (the “Constitution”) and articles 4, 16, and 24 of the African Charter …Read more

This was a civil appeal regarding the conditions in Zimbabwe’s police holding cells. The first and second Applicants, Kachingwe and Chibebe, were arrested by the police, with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights serving as the third Applicant. The first Applicant was detained in a police cell overnight. The second Applicant was detained for two days. …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 Human Rights Committee (the “Committee”) joined two communications which referred to the same facts. The first communication concerned Patricio Ndong Bee who was a prisoner in Black Beach Prison on behalf of himself and four other inmates who were being held incommunicado. The second communication was filed by the wife of yet another prisoner …Read more

The Applicant, Simon Musi Mazibuko, was a prisoner living with HIV. He had been convicted of murder assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, robbery, theft, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and sentenced to life in prison. The Applicant was suffering from several opportunistic infections, including tuberculosis, and his CD4 count …Read more

The Respondent, Lekha, dismissed the Applicant, Banda, from employment for reasons related to the Applicant’s health. The Applicant was dismissed “immediately and without any formality” after she attended “HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing” and tested positive for HIV. The Applicant claimed that during her employment she had never been incapacitated as a result of her …Read more

T, an organisation campaigning on behalf of those seeking affordable medicines in addition to promoting the rights of medical practitioners to dispense medicines to the public, together with N, an association of dispensing providers and M, a medical practitioner authorised to dispense medicines, challenged certain aspects of a licensing system governed by the Medicines and …Read more

Chisanga, a Zambian citizen, was convicted of aggravated robbery in 1995 and sentenced to death; he was also convicted of attempted murder but not sentenced for it. Chisanga claimed that he was innocent and that his trial was unfair because he was convicted solely on the basis of one witness’ testimony. Evidence from the medical …Read more

The applicant was arrested and detained by the Swaziland police on charges of attempted murder. He contended that his six children and two wives were going through a difficult time due to his incarceration because he was the only breadwinner for his family. He also claimed that he was HIV positive and suffered from various …Read more