Navtej Singh Johar & Ors. v. Union of India
Country: IndiaYear: 2018
Court: Supreme Court of India
Citation: Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 76 of 2016
Health Topics: Health care and health services, HIV/AIDS, Mental health, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Freedom of expression, Right of access to information, Right to bodily integrity, Right to family life, Right to health, Right to life, Right to privacy
Petitioners, by means of a writ petition, challenged Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (‘IPC’), which made “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” a criminal offense punishable with life imprisonment. Petitioners argued that homosexuality, bisexuality, and other sexual orientations are equally natural and reflective of expression of choice and individuals should have the …Read more
Erdinç Kurt and Others v. Turkey
Country: TurkeyYear: 2017
Court: The European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application no. 50772/11
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Disabilities, Health care and health services, Hospitals, Informed consent, Medical malpractice
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial, Right to family life, Right to life
The applicants’ daughter suffered from cardiac problems when she was 1 year old and received treatment for it in children’s hospital. The first applicant (father) signed a consent form for a surgery of her daughter. The consent form entailed the risks. A further operation was conducted after obtaining a similar form from the father. After …Read more
Ioniță v. Romania
Country: RomaniaYear: 2017
Court: The European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application no. 81270/12
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Health care and health services, Health information, Hospitals, Informed consent, Medical malpractice
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial, Right to life
The applicants’ minor son underwent surgery for the removal of a polyp in a public emergency hospital. The child was transferred to the ICU unit under a staff nurse who had assisted in the surgery. Due to a hemorrhage and a number of failed attempts to resuscitate, the child died. There were contrary reports of …Read more
Lopes De Sousa Fernandes v. Portugal
Country: PortugalYear: 2017
Court: The European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application no. 56080/13
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Health care and health services, Health information, Hospitals, Infectious diseases, Medical malpractice
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to health, Right to life
The applicant’s husband underwent a surgery to remove nasal polyps. He suffered from severe headaches and went back to the emergency department. The duty doctor prescribed him some tranquilizer stating it was some psychological problem. As the headaches did not subside, a medical team examined him the next day and found that he was suffering …Read more
Member of the Executive Council for Health and Social Development of the Gauteng Provincial Government v. DZ obo WZ
Country: South AfricaYear: 2017
Court: Constitutional Court of South Africa
Citation: 2017 (12) BCLR 1528 (CC)
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Health care and health services, Hospitals
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to health, Right to life
The respondent – DZ in this case gave birth to WZ. Due to prolonged labour, DZ suffered from asphyxation, which led to cerebral palsy. WZ brought an action for damages on behald of DZ on the account of negligence of the hopsital staff. The Medical of the Executive Council (MEC) for health admitted negligence on …Read more
Pellett (Re)
Country: CanadaYear: 2017
Court: Ontario Court of Appeal
Citation: 2017 ONCA 753
Health Topics: Controlled substances, Health care and health services, Informed consent, Medicines, Mental health
Human Rights: Freedom of movement and residence, Right to liberty and security of person
The appellant was a 62 year old female diagnosed with schizophrenia. She had a long-standing history of hospitalization, treatment, release, de-compensation, relapse, and re-admission. When psychotic, the appellant had a history of troubling behaviour, including attempts to divert traffic, throwing objects out of a window, crashing her car and smashing other cars with brooms. The …Read more
Caleb Orozco v. Attorney General of Belize
Country: BelizeYear: 2016
Court: Supreme Court of Belize
Citation: Claim 668 of 2010
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health information, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Mental health, Sexual and reproductive health, Violence
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom of expression, Right to health, Right to privacy
The Claimant, Caleb Orozco, a citizen of Belize was a homosexual male and a health educator. In the Supreme Court of Belize, he challenged the constitutional validity of Section 53 of the Belize Criminal Code to the extent that it criminalized anal sex between two consenting male adults. Section 53 of the Criminal Code stated …Read more
Daniel Ng’etich v. Attorney General
Country: KenyaYear: 2016
Court: High Court of Kenya, Constitutional and Human Rights Division
Citation: Petition No. 329 of 2014 [2016] eKLR
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Hospitals, Infectious diseases, Prisons, Public safety
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom of movement and residence, Right to liberty and security of person
The Public Health Officer in the Nandi Central District arrested the petitioners- Daniel Ng’etich and Patrick Kipng’etich Kirui stating that they had failed to take the prescribed TB Medications. Under Section 27 of the Public Health Act, a magistrate could order the isolation and detention of a person who has been exposed to an infection. …Read more
Devika Biswas v. Union of India
Country: IndiaYear: 2016
Court: The Supreme Court of India
Citation: (2016) 10 SCC 726
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Hospitals, Informed consent, Medical malpractice, Sexual and reproductive health, Water, sanitation and hygiene
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to bodily integrity, Right to health
The petitioner in the present case claimed that a sterilization camp managed by an NGO in Bihar was conducting sterilization without following any proper protocol. More than 50 women had undergone sterilization at the camp without being provided any kind of counseling and information about the procedure. The procedure of the sterilization was highly unsanitary; …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