British Columbia Civil Liberties Association v Canada (Attorney General)
Country: CanadaYear: 2018
Court: Supreme Court of British Columbia
Citation: 2018 BCSC 62
Health Topics: Mental health, Prisons
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to life
The plaintiffs are two non-profit organizations, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association and the John Howard Society of Canada. The plaintiffs challenged the constitutionality of sections 31-33 and 37 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA), which authorized administrative segregation of inmates in federal prisons. Section 31 provided that the purpose of administrative segregation …Read more
Mambu v The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Country: Congo, DRCYear: 2016
Court: United Nations Human Rights Committee
Citation: Communication No. 2465/2014; UN Doc. CCPR/C/118/D/2465/2014
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Hospitals, Prisons, Violence
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Freedom of association, Right of access to information, Right to bodily integrity, Right to due process/fair trial, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to participation
Eugène Diomi Ndongala Nzo Mambu was a national of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and president of the opposition political party in the State, challenging the legitimacy of an election. He alleged that he was abducted in 2012 and held incommunicado for three months and 13 days while being interrogated about his ties with …Read more
Association for the Defence of Human Rights in Romania-Helsinki Committee on Behalf of Ionel Garcea v. Romania
Country: RomaniaYear: 2015
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 2959/11
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Health care and health services, Infectious diseases, Informed consent, Medical malpractice, Mental health, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to life
The applicant was a Romanian NGO known as the Association for the Defence of Human Rights in Romania-Helsinki Committee (“Association”), representing a deceased party, Ionel Garcea. Garcea was a mentally ill prisoner who died in prison. During his sentence, he made a number of complaints about his treatment, with the Association representing him. In June …Read more
Kanthasamy v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration)
Country: CanadaYear: 2015
Court: The Supreme Court of Canada
Citation: 2015 SCC 61
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Disasters and emergencies, Health care and health services, Mental health, Prisons, Violence
Human Rights: Freedom of movement and residence, Right to liberty and security of person
The appellant was a 17 year old boy who applied for permanent residence from within Canada, having previously landed as a refugee claimant. He travelled to Canada to escape threatened violence from the army and police in Sri Lanka, his native country after he was detained and questioned by the Sri Lankan police and army. …Read more
Monim Elgak, Osman Hummeida and Amir Suliman v Sudan
Country: SudanYear: 2015
Court: African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Citation: Communication 379/09
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Health care and health services, Prisons, Violence
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to health, Right to liberty and security of person
The complainants were human rights activists who were arrested, tortured and ill-treated by the Intelligence Services of Sudan. They were also compelled to leave Sudan. Mr. Suliman’s human rights organization was further shut down by the Sudanese Authorities. During the interrogation, the authorities threatened to kill and rape Mr. Hummeida. He was further denied medical …Read more
Tali v. Estonia
Country: EstoniaYear: 2014
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 66393/10; [2014] ECHR 294
Health Topics: Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
Mr. Tali, an Estonian sentenced to life in prison, claimed he was subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment contrary to Article 3 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“Convention”). On July 3 2009, Tali was told he would be taken to a punishment cell. The guards used defensive equipment …Read more
Valetov v. Kazakhstan
Country: KazakhstanYear: 2014
Court: United Nations Human Rights Committee
Citation: Communication No. 2104/2011
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Infectious diseases, Prisons, Violence
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to bodily integrity, Right to due process/fair trial
Nikolai Valetov, a Russian national, was arrested and charged in June 2001 with murder by Kyrgyzstan authorities while living in Kyrgyzstan. In addition to maintaining that he was framed for this crime by the police, Valetov further claimed that he was tortured by the police so severely while in pre-trial detention that he was permanently …Read more
Maloney v. The Queen
Country: AustraliaYear: 2013
Court: High Court
Citation: [2013] HCA 28
Health Topics: Controlled substances
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to property
The appellant was an Indigenous resident of Palm Island in Queensland who was charged with possession of more than a prescribed quantity of liquor in a restricted area on Palm Island contrary to section 168B of the Liquor Act 1992 (Q) (“Liquor Act”). Palm Island was a “community government area” within the meaning of the …Read more
Benali v Libya
Country: LibyaYear: 2012
Court: United Nations Human Rights Committee
Citation: Communication No. 1805/2008
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to bodily integrity, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life
On 9 August 1995, B, a Libyan citizen, was arrested by the Libyan Internal Security Agency and held in secret detention at Abu Slim prison. In September 2000, B’s relatives were informed that B was alive and allowed to visit him in prison. During those visits, B told his relatives he had been regularly tortured …Read more
Déogratias Niyonzima v. Burundi
Country: BurundiYear: 2012
Court: Committee Against Torture
Citation: Communication No. 514/2012; U.N. Doc. CAT/C/53/D/514/2012
Health Topics: Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to due process/fair trial
Niyonzima was secretary general of the Peoples Reconciliation Party in Burundi. On August 1, 2006 Niyonzima was arrested outside his home by 20 armed police men. No reason was given for his arrest. Niyonzima was taken first to the National Intelligence Service and then back to his home. His home was searched and items were …Read more