The applicant was a minor who alleged that his detention in a penal institution and by failing to provide him with suitable care and accommodation violated domestic Irish law and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (the “Convention”). The applicant had been in the care of the Eastern Health Board …Read more

The Constitutional Court was asked to determine whether the appellant (Government) was required to give effect, pending an appeal, to an order of the High Court which directed it to make the drug nevirapine available to mothers and their newborn babies in public health facilities under certain circumstances and conditions. The order concerned the programme …Read more

The government of South Africa developed a national public health program to address mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The purpose of the program was to offer HIV-positive pregnant women nevirapine, a drug that prevents the transmission of HIV at birth, free of charge. The program was, however, limited in scope. It only offered nevirapine at certain …Read more

N, a cane cutter, was arrested on charges of having unlawful sexual intercourse with his six year old daughter contrary to s 175 of the Penal Code. Within two hours he was presented before the court and cautioned. The magistrate asked N whether he wished to consult his lawyer, but he declined. At trial he …Read more

P was a U.S. citizen and C was her British husband. Their daughter, S, was born in 1998 in the UK. In 1985, P had given birth to a son B in the US. In 1994, the California authorities took B into protective custody, alleging that P was harming B by administering laxatives to him …Read more

The plaintiffs filed a guarantee of protection of individual constitutional rights (amparo protection) against the Health Insurance of the Province of Buenos Aires (IOMA), and subsequently, the Province of Buenos Aires and the National State to provide health coverage for their underage son who was disabled. The plaintiffs argued that as the health insurance company …Read more

Woman living in extreme poverty brought an action against the Ministry of Social Development and Environment of the Nation, the Province of Buenos Aires, and Hospital of Pediatrics Profesor Juan P. Garrahan on behalf of her eight children and herself, seeking, among others, the protection of their rights to food, health, education, and housing; the …Read more

This case was heard by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Their opinion is available here. Leaders of the Yakye Axa indigenous community of the Enxet-Lengua people filed suit against the Republic of Paraguay claiming that the Paraguayan State violated Articles 4 (right to life) and 25 (judicial protection), in conjunction with Article 1(1) (obligation …Read more

A doctor, Y, was treating Mrs. X during her pregnancy. Y suspected a breech presentation (buttocks- or feet-first presentation rather than the normal head-first presentation) during the 8th month of pregnancy. The mother wanted a home birth. On 12 January, the child was born in a home birth and as a result of inadequate medical …Read more

Before the promulgation of the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Act, 78 senators made a referral to the French constitutional court challenging the constitutionality of the new bill according to article 61 of the French Constitution. The Act had three components. It extended to 12 weeks the period of time a woman could have an abortion …Read more