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

Doris Fabiola Reinoso Barroso was the daughter of Esteban Reinoso (the Plaintiff) a Colombian Petroleum Company (the Respondent) pensioner, who enjoyed medical assistance services covered by the Respondent. Although she was an adult, Ms. Barroso was listed as a beneficiary of the Plaintiff on these medical assistance services, as her paranoid schizophrenia meant that she …Read more

Applicants were two Finnish Nationals, a mother (K.) and her cohabitant (T.). K., a diagnosed schizophrenic, had a history of hospitalization. At the time K. and T. began cohabitating in 1991, K.’s daughter (P.) and son (M.) were living with her. The children had different fathers, neither of whom was T. In 1992, custody of …Read more

Jodie and Mary were conjoined twins connected at the lower abdomen. Each had their own vital organs, but one of Jodie’s arteries supplied oxygenated blood to Mary. The twins were surgically capable of being separated, but doing so would leave Mary’s deficient heart and lungs without support and lead to her death. However, if the …Read more

Mr. L was a mentally retarded person who was incapable of consenting to medical treatment. From the age of 13, he had been a resident at the Bournewood Hospital which was governed by the appellant, NHS Trust. Mr. L was discharged from the hospital on a trial basis into the community with paid carers, though …Read more

A 36 weeks-pregnant woman, referred to as “MS”, sought care as a new patient at a local National Health Service (NHS) practice on 25th April 1996. She previously had not sought any ante-natal care. She was quickly diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a condition threatening the life and health of both her and her baby. She rejected …Read more

L, who was profoundly mentally retarded and incapable of consenting to medical treatment, was admitted informally for in-patient treatment by an National Health Service Trust as he appeared fully compliant and did not resist admission. As a consequence the Trust avoided invoking the Mental Health Act regime. L applied, by his next friend, for judicial …Read more

Applicant, a Swedish national who lived with her youngest son was unable to work as a result of dental problems which caused her severe pain, and anxiety about a dispute with her landlord. She contacted a psychiatric clinic in order to receive a medical certificate which would enable her to claim sickness benefit from the …Read more

This case involved a challenge to a decision of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Mental Health Tribunal. The ACT Supreme Court set aside an order to detain and administer psychiatric treatment to Geraldine Patricia Burnett, a 38 year old woman who suffered from a mild psychotic disorder. Burnett had at various times been taken into …Read more