A motion for an interlocutory injunction was brought to prevent the City of Toronto from enforcing its By-law that prohibited camping and erecting tents, structures, and shelters in City parks, City of Toronto Municipal Code, c. 608. The applicants did not challenge the validity of the By-law but sought an order to have it suspended …Read more

The applicants appealed a decision affirming the constitutionality of Brian’s Law (Mental Health Legislative Reform), 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 9. (“Brian’s Law”), which was enacted by the Ontario legislature in 2000. Brian’s Law amended the Mental Health Act (“MHA”), adding provisions that expanded criteria for involuntary committal in a psychiatric hospital and introduced community treatment …Read more

The applicants’ claim was based on s. 27(1)(b) of the Constitution – the right to sufficient food and water, which they submitted found further expression in the provisions of the Water Services Act 108 of 1997 (“WSA”). Their complaint argued that farm occupiers and labour tenants, especially the applicants, lacked “access to sufficient water, basic …Read more

The applicant, Mr. Slavko Krajnc, was a professional truck driver in Celje, Slovenia. On September 29, 2003, Krajnc was deemed to have “category III work-related disability” as a result of his epilepsy, which rendered him unable to work as a truck driver. Accordingly, he had the right to be assigned to a different, more suitable …Read more

The case concerned whether France could permanently defer men who have had sex with another man from blood donation. Mr. Léger went to a collection center to donate blood, but his blood donation was refused on the ground that he had had sexual intercourse with another man. The decision was based on a French decree …Read more

The claimant water company alleged that France’s prohibition on allowing water providers to interrupt the provision of drinking water to users who did not pay their bills violated the constitutionally protected rights of contractual freedom and entrepreneurial freedom and the principles of equality before the law and public expenditures, especially considering that the electricity, heating, …Read more

The applicants appealed a decision to terminate artificial nutrition and hydration for their son, who was in a chronic vegetative state. In 2013, Mr. Lambert’s doctor and wife initiated proceedings to terminate care under the Act of 22 April 2005 (“Act”), which amended provisions of the Public Health Code (“Code”). However, the applicants received an …Read more

The applicants are husband and wife who opted for a surrogacy arrangement in California as the second applicant had infertility issues. The Supreme Court of California ruled that the first applicant would be the genetic father and the second applicant would be the legal mother of any child the surrogate mother gave birth to within …Read more

The QPC (Question prioritaire de constitutionnalité) process was created in France in 2008. It allows for preliminary rulings on the conformity of a legal provision with the Constitution. This disposition challenged the 2002 law (Paragraph I of section 1 of the Act of March 4th 2002) that states “No one shall claim he has sustained …Read more

Mr. Patrick A requested the annulment of the decision of 8 February 2008 by which the National Council of the Order of Doctors declined to authorize him as a certified specialist in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. Mr. A had been practicing baldness surgery for 28 years as a general practitioner, and had …Read more

Mrs. X operated a dog breeding company, and was a beneficiary of the minimum insertion income (an income for those that make below a certain amount) since 1 October 2006. This qualified her to request the complementary health protection. She did not request the health protection as she was covered by her husband’s social regime. …Read more

This case concerned a constitutional challenge to Articles 1, 10, 23, 84, 91 and 133 of law no.  2009-879 of July 21 2009, Loi portant réforme de l’hôpital et relative aux patients, à la santé et aux territoires (Law reforming hospitals and relating to patients, health and the territories) (the Law) in the Conseil Constitutionnel. …Read more

Mr A suffered from psychiatric illness and was hospitalised against his will under a guardianship order in 1990 and 1996. His case was later transferred to a doctor chosen by him – Dr B, and all medical records were sent on to Dr B. Mr A later sought to obtain a copy of the entirety …Read more

The applicant was a French national and a sister to a detainee, who also was a French national and committed suicide on 20 July 2000 in his cell in Bois-d’Arcy Prison where he was placed in pre-trial detention. In April 2000, the applicant’s brother was placed under investigation and detained pending trial for the armed …Read more

In a proceeding for divorce, a confidential medical document (a correspondence between the applicant’s doctor and a specialist) indicating the applicant’s alcoholism was relied upon. The judge further quoted paragraphs from the document in his judgment and the divorce was granted on the grounds of fault committed by the applicant. The applicant’s request for legal …Read more

Brun claimed a violation of Article 2 (right to remedy), Article 6 (right to life) and Article 17 (right to privacy) of the International Covenant Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Brun argued that Article 17 should be interpreted to include the right to live in a healthy environment. He had been sentenced for demonstrating against …Read more

The application concerned a negligent prenatal diagnosis made by Assistance Publique—Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), a molecular diagnosis laboratory. AP-HP failed to detect an anomaly during pregnancy, resulting in the birth of a disabled child to Lionel and Christine Draon. AP-HP admitted liability for its negligence, and the Draons submitted an application to the Paris Administrative …Read more

The application concerned a negligent prenatal diagnosis made by Assistance Publique—Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), a molecular diagnosis laboratory. AP-HP failed to detect an anomaly during pregnancy, resulting in the birth of a disabled child to Didier and Sylvia Maurice. Mr. and Mrs. Maurice submitted an application to the Paris Administrative Court for an assessment of …Read more

In 2002, the ASSOCIATION AGAINST HANDIPHOBIA brought this challenge to Article L. 2123-2 of the Public Health Code, which allows for a guardian judge to impose contraception, sterilization and pregnancy termination on people with mental disabilities after rigorous review. The Association claimed the law was unconstitutional, a violation of the Declaration of the Rights of …Read more

A woman being treated by Polyclinic requested that two doctors from outside the clinic to come to treat her child. The polyclinic did not allow the two pediatric specialists to practice in the clinic. The Court of Appeal held that the polyclinic had violated L. 1111-1 of the Public Health Code and L.162-2 of the …Read more

After a tympanoplasty procedure provided by Dr. Y, Mrs. X suffered from partial facial paralysis. Mrs. X sought damages for the entire facial paralysis that she suffered, claiming that Dr. Y had violated the doctor’s duty to fully inform patients of the potential consequences of a medical procedure. The lower court awarded Mrs. X damages, and …Read more

Mrs. X was an employee of the Sochata Snecma company, which is a part of Snecma services, on the site of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Mrs X was laid off on account of a disruption of the service following numerous work stoppages.  The Rambouillet employee claims court reversed her dismissal and ordered her reinstatement within the Snecma services …Read more

After a colonoscopy, a patient suffered from  intestinal perforation. The patient sued the doctor for not having provided information on the possible risks of the surgery to him prior to the surgery. The Court of Appeal held that the patient had the burden to prove that the doctor had breached his duty to inform, and …Read more

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

Mrs. X was treated for persistent kyphosis (curvature of the spine) by Dr. Y. After her spinal graft operation, she developed a problem with her eye known as cavernous sinus thrombosis. As a result, she lost sight in her left eye. Mrs. X sued Dr. Y for failing to inform her about all of the risks …Read more

The petitioners brought this challenge to a decision of the French Minister of Health and Social Welfare and to a decree legislating the patient’s right to access his/her health information held by health professionals or facility and her/his right to use the help of a mandated third person to access such information. The petitioners requested the …Read more

This case concerned violations of the physicians’ professional Code of Conduct and a disregard for the general nomenclature of professional acts in medicine by Mr. Gilbert X. Mr. X was sanctioned by the Social Security Section of the National Council of the College of Physicians to a four months prohibition of the right to dispense …Read more

Mrs. Thi-Nho Vo attended Lyons General Hospital for a medical examination during her pregnancy. On the same day, another woman, Mrs. Thi Thanh Van Vo, was at the hospital to have a contraceptive coil removed. When Dr. G, the doctor who was to remove the coil from Mrs. Thi Thanh Van Vo, asked for ‘Mrs. …Read more

The applicant, a prisoner, alleged violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights when his application for pardon on medical grounds was refused. Applicant contracted HIV nine years prior to being sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment. Because applicant refused to undergo a medical exam or release access to his medical records, …Read more

Changes in French domestic law required foreign nationals to have lawfully resided in France for three continuous months and to satisfy an economic means test in order to qualify for benefits under the country’s universal medical coverage (CMU) program. The benefits for lawful nationals included health insurance with a potential to receive supplemental insurance. Conversely, …Read more

The applicant, a publishing company named Plon, and the authors of a book that contained information about former French President Mitterrand’s secret battle with cancer, entitled “Le Grand Secret,” were stopped through a court injunction by the family of President Mitterrand from distributing the book. On 23 October 1996 the Paris tribunal de grande instance, …Read more

In this case a number of petitioners challenged the constitutional validity of an act reforming the public health insurance system. The impugned provisions were: Article 3 of the Act inserted articles which provide for establishment provides for the establishment of a system to promote coordination, quality and continuity of care and will allow for monitoring …Read more

Applicant, a prisoner serving a 15-year sentence, alleged that France violated his Article 3 rights against inhuman treatment when his appeals for pardon on the grounds of suffering form a worsening state of leukemia were denied. Medical reports showed that Mouisel had leukemia and that the disease continued to worsen. However, Mouisel’s application to the …Read more

The complainant alleged that France is failing to adhere to its obligations under the European Social Charters. They stated that children and young adults did not have adequate access to educational services. Further, it was alleged that the provisions for early intervention, teacher training, funding and accessibility of mainstream education was insufficient. It was also …Read more