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
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
Muhamad Juzaili Bin Mohd Khamis, et al. v. State Government of Negeri Sembilan, et al.
Country: MalaysiaYear: 2015
Court: Court of Appeal
Citation: Civil Appeal No. 01-498-11/2012
Health Topics: Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom of expression, Freedom of movement and residence, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life, Right to work
Section 66 of the Syariah Criminal Enactment of 1992 made it an offence for Muslim males to wear women’s attire or to pose as a woman in a public place. Conviction resulted in a fine or imprisonment not exceeding six months or both. The Appellants were Muslim men with Gender Identity Disorder (GID) who expressed …Read more
Obergefell v. Hodges
Country: United StatesYear: 2015
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: 576 U.S. ____ (2015); 135 S. Ct. 2584
Health Topics: Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to family life, Right to privacy
The petitioners were same-sex couples from various U.S. states who challenged the constitutionality of bans on same-sex marriage in those states. They claimed that the bans violated the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Due Process Clause protects individuals from the arbitrary denial of life, …Read more
The Queen (on the application of JK) v. Registrar General for England and Wales
Country: United KingdomYear: 2015
Court: High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division
Citation: [2015] EWHC 990 (Admin)
Health Topics: Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to family life, Right to privacy
The Claimant was a male-to-female transgendered woman who challenged the requirement that she was recorded as the father on her children’s birth certificates. Following the birth of her daughter, but before the birth of her son, the Claimant decided to live as a man and changed her name to a female name. The Claimant was …Read more
Case of Angel Alberto Duque (Report on the merits)
Country: ColombiaYear: 2014
Court: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Citation: Report No. 5/14
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, HIV/AIDS, Medicines, Poverty, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to bodily integrity, Right to due process/fair trial, Right to health, Right to life, Right to social security
Duque and his same-sex partner lived together as a couple for over ten years, until his partner died from AIDS. Four years prior to the death, Duque was diagnosed with HIV and was being treated under support from his partner. When his partner died, Duque asked the COLFONDOS (the pension service) to ask what requirements …Read more
National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India and others
Country: IndiaYear: 2014
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: [(2014) 5 SCC 438]
Health Topics: Health care and health services, HIV/AIDS, Sexual and reproductive health, Violence
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom of expression, Right to life, Right to privacy
Members of transgender community sought a legal declaration of their gender identity, instead of the male or female identity assigned to them at the time of their birth, claiming that that non-recognition of their gender identity violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India (the “Constitution”). Hijras and eunuchs, who were also members …Read more
Suresh Kumar Koushal and another v. Naz Foundation and others
Country: IndiaYear: 2013
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: Civil Appeal No. 10972 of 2013
Health Topics: HIV/AIDS, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to bodily integrity, Right to life, Right to privacy
Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (the Section) penalized voluntary “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal” and described them as “unnatural offences.” An offence under this Section was non-bailable and carried a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Naz Foundation, the Petitioner, was an NGO working in …Read more
Tomlinson v. Belize and Trinidad & Tobago
Country: Belize, Trinidad and TobagoYear: 2013
Court: Caribbean Court of Justice
Citation: Tomlinson v. Belize and Trindad & Tobago, CCJ (2013); CCJ Application No. OA 2 of 2013
Health Topics: Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom of movement and residence
The petitioner was a homosexual man and an LGBT activist who had traveled to Belize and Trinidad and Tobago; he had never been denied entry into either state. When he learned that section 5 of the Belize Immigration Act and section 8 of the Trinidad and Tobago prohibited homosexuals, prostitutes, or any person who living …Read more
Tan Eng Hong v. Attorney-General
Country: SingaporeYear: 2012
Court: Court of Appeal
Citation: [2012] SGCA 45
Health Topics: Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination
Tan and another man were arrested for engaging in oral sex in a public bathroom. They were charged under section 377A for the commission of an act of gross indecency with another male person. Tan’s attorney argued that section 377A was inconsistent with Article 9 of the Singapore Constitution. Soon after, the Prosecution amended the …Read more