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Casebook Series BIOETHICS
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CURRICULUM
Social and Human Sciences Sector
Ethics Education Programme

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 Casebook Series
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BIOETHICS
CASEBOOK ON

CORE
HUMAN DIGNITY
CURRICULUM
AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Social and Human Sciences Sector
Ethics Education Programme

United Nations
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 This book should be cited as:
UNESCO, 2011. Casebook on Human Dignity and Human Rights, Bioethics Core Curriculum
Casebook Series, No. 1, UNESCO: Paris, 144 pp..

The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily
represent the views of UNESCO. The designations employed and the presentation of material
throughout the publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of
UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or
concerning its frontiers or boundaries.

Published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Social and Human Sciences Sector
Division of Ethics of Science and Technology
Ethics Education Programme
7, place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07-SP
France

Design & Production: Jeddi Editorial Design

SHS/EST/EEP/2011/PI/1
ISBN 978-92-3-104202-7

© UNESCO 2011
All rights reserved

Revised edition

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement vi

Foreword vii

Introduction ix

Case Study 1 Privacy 1

Case Study 2 Physician’s rights 6

Case Study 3 A patient’s right to personal medical information 9

Case Study 4 Objection to unapproved treatment 12

Case Study 5 The right to life with dignity 16

Case Study 6 Withdrawal of medical care from minors

at the terminal stage of life 19

Case Study 7 Witholding life-saving treatment 24

Case Study 8 End of life considerations 29

Case Study 9 Pain relief 34

Case Study 10 Right of refusal 38

Case Study 11 End of life 42

Case Study 12 Forced treatment of the mentally ill 46

Case Study 13 Bone marrow donation by a mentally ill patient 50

Case Study 14 Refusing life-saving treatment on behalf of a minor 54

Case Study 15 A minor refusing life-saving treatment because of faith 58

iv

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 Case Study 16 Refusing treatment due to religious beliefs 62

Case Study 17 Informed consent 66

Case Study 18 Information required for informed consent 71

Case Study 19 Information about alternative treatments 75

Case Study 20 Acting without prior consent

due to an unforeseen medical problem 80

Case Study 21 Special importance of informed consent

for irreversible procedures 84

Case Study 22 Assumed consent of an unconscious patient 88

Case Study 23 Irreversible procedures

performed on mentally disabled patients without consent 93

Case Study 24 Respecting patients’ decisions 97

Case Study 25 Equality in providing health services 100

Case Study 26 A state’s obligation to provide emergency medical care 104

Case Study 27 Claim of ‘wrongful life’ 108

Case Study 28 Obligatory vaccination 112

Case Study 29 Protecting a prisoner’s dignity 116

Case Study 30 Unauthorised sperm extraction for spousal infertilization 120

Reference list of judicial cases 125

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Casebook on Human Dignity and Human Rights for the UNESCO
Bioethics Core Curriculum Casebook Series was developed with the assis-
tance of a working group within the UNESCO Advisory Expert Commit-
tee for the Teaching of Ethics, comprising the following members:
Mr. Amnon CARMI, Israel (Coordinator)
Mr. Ruben APRESSYAN, Russian Federation (COMEST)
Mrs. Nouzha GUESSOUS-IDRISSI, Morocco (IBC)

Further assistance on this casebook was also provided by:

Mr. Tee Wee ANG
Ms. Adi HEFETS BITON
Ms. Rachel NISSANHOLTZ
Ms. Meredith GRAY
Ms. Jennifer CHEVINSKY
Mr. Tasman MURRAY

The UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum was developed with the assis-
tance of the UNESCO Advisory Expert Committee for the Teaching of Ethics
comprising the following members:
Mr. Ruben APRESSYAN, Russian Federation (COMEST)
Mr. D. BALASUBRAMANIAM, India (TWAS)
Mr. Amnon CARMI, Israel (UNESCO Chair)
Mr. Leonardo DE CASTRO, Philippines (IBC)
Mr. Donald EVANS, New Zealand (IBC)
Mr. Diego GRACIA, Spain (COMEST-IBC)
Mrs. Nouzha GUESSOUS-IDRISSI, Morocco (IBC)
Mr. Henk TEN HAVE, Netherlands (UNESCO)
Mr. John WILLIAMS, Canada (WMA)

The publication of this casebook was made possible by the generous

financial support of the Israel National Commission for UNESCO,
and the research support of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics at the
University of Haifa, Israel.

vi

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 FOREWORD

The Framework for Action of the 1999 World Conference on Science in

Budapest, under the aegis of UNESCO and the International Coun-
cil for Science (ICSU), states that ethics and the responsibility of sci-
ence should be an integral part of the education and training of all
scientists, and that they should be encouraged to respect and adhere
to basic ethical principles and responsibilities of science. During the
32nd UNESCO General Conference (2003), Member States expressed
the need to initiate and support teaching programmes in ethics, not
only in bioethics but in all scientific and professional education. In
response to these statements, and to The Teaching of Ethics (2003) report
by UNESCO’s World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and
Technology (COMEST), the Organization launched its Ethics Educa-
tion Programme (EEP) in 2004 to reinforce and increase the capacities
of Member States in the area of ethics education.

A dimension of the EEP is the establishment of the Advisory Expert

Committee on the Teaching of Ethics, composed of members of COMEST
and UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (IBC), as well as
representatives of the UNESCO Chairs in Bioethics, the Academy of
Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) and the World Medical
Association (WMA). The first task of this ad-hoc committee was to de-
velop the UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum, launched in 2008, which
sets out to introduce the bioethical principles of the 2005 Universal
Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (hereafter referred to as the
Declaration) to university students.

The Declaration embodies a set of bioethical principles that has been

agreed upon by the Member States of UNESCO after an intense elab-
oration and consultation process involving independent and govern-
mental experts from all regions of the world. This set of bioethical
principles provides a common global platform by which bioethics
can be introduced and strengthened within each Member State, and
UNESCO is mandated to promote, disseminate and elaborate these
principles for practical purposes.

vii

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 Since bioethics teaching has not been introduced in many universi-
ties in many countries, the UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum can
provide an incentive to start introducing such teaching. Furthermore,
its content does not impose a particular model or specific view of bio-
ethics, but articulates ethical principles that are shared by scientific
experts, policy-makers and health professionals from various countries
with different cultural, historical and religious backgrounds.

The casebook you have before you is part of the UNESCO Bioethics
Core Curriculum Casebook Series, launched by UNESCO in 2011, and
designed to be used with the core curriculum, or as stand-alone study
material for one of the bioethical principles in the Declaration. The
casebook series is intended to reinforce the introduction of ethics
teaching, especially in developing countries. In order to encourage
wide dissemination and usage of this series, the casebooks are freely
available in hardcopy as well as for electronic download through the
UNESCO website (www.unesco.org).

On behalf of UNESCO, I would like to express our gratitude to the Ad-

visory Expert Committee on the Teaching of Ethics, especially to Professor
Amnon Carmi, the Coordinator of the working group, as well as to the
other members of the working group responsible for this casebook, for
their commitment and voluntary assistance to the work of UNESCO in
the strengthening of ethics education around the world.

Dafna FEINHOLZ
Chief, Bioethics Section
Division of Ethics of Science and Technology
Social and Human Sciences Sector

viii

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 INTRODUCTION

The Constitution of UNESCO, adopted on the 16 November 1945,

states that the wide diffusion of culture, and the education of human-
ity for justice and liberty and peace are indispensable to the dignity of
man and constitute a sacred duty which all the nations must fulfill in a
spirit of mutual assistance and concern.

On 19 October 2005, the 33rd Session of the General Conference of

UNESCO adopted the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human
Rights (hereafter referred to as the Declaration). Article 3 of the Decla-
ration reads as follows:

1. Human dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms are

to be fully respected.
2. The interests and welfare of the individual should have
priority over the sole interest of science or society.

There are several concepts of dignity. One meaning or use of dignity

refers to the presentation of honor and esteem for personal mer-
it, inherited or achieved. Thus, it might be used to mark a ‘height’
of human excellence, and of those qualities that distinguish certain
persons from others. On the other hand, in certain religions human
dignity is considered to be predetermined by the creation of human
beings in the image of God. The Biblical assertion that human beings
have been created in God’s image has often been taken as the ground
of equal worth.

Modern philosophies tend to associate the concept of dignity with the

idea of human rights. An individual has inherent inviolable rights. The
term signifies an innate right to respect. The use of the idea of dignity
is to refer to a naturally human way of being in the world. Immanuel
Kant’s principle of treating a person as an end, not as a means, has been
accepted by moral and political philosophy as a basis for the concept
of human rights. No man should be treated or regarded as a ‘subject’.
He held that there were things that should not be discussed in terms

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 of value, and that these things could be said to have dignity; ‘morality,
and humanity as capable of it, is that which alone has dignity.’

Dignity refers to the minimum dignity which belongs to every human

being. The notion of dignity is used to mark a threshold, a kind of
respect and care beneath which the treatment of any human being
should never fall. Unlike merit as an embodiment of publicly recog-
nized personal achievements, a person is dignified as a human being as
such. Human dignity appears to perform a distinct role, as the source
from which human rights are derived, or as a reason for promoting hu-
man rights. The rights are needed and expected to secure and uphold
the dignity of the human person.

Human dignity appears in various contexts in international instruments,

even though this term was rarely or accurately defined. In contempo-
rary international law, national constitutions, and other normative doc-
uments, human dignity is connected with human rights. According to
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), ‘all human
beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.’ This article es-
tablished human rights on the inherent dignity of every human being.
The Council of Europe expressed in the Oviedo Convention (1997) the
need to respect the human being both as an individual and as a mem-
ber of the human species, and to recognize the importance of ensuring
the dignity of the human being. Human dignity is a foundational con-
cept and it is theoretically and normatively inappropriate to reduce it
to functional characteristics of person’s activity. And as it is indicated
in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights,
the regard to cultural diversity is not to be invoked to infringe upon
human dignity.

All human beings are equal in dignity irrespective of gender, age, social
status or ethnicity. Our society is committed to equal human dignity.
This concept adopts ethics of equality, valuing all human beings in
light of their common humanity, rather than ethics of quality, valu-
ing life when it embodies certain humanly fitting characteristics. Of
course, treating people equally need not and should not mean treating
them identically.

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 The idea of dignity is being associated with both a concern for equality
and for protection against the risk of harm. It does not admit to any
degrees. It is equal to all humans. It cannot be gained or lost. Any living
human being, even one severely disabled does not loose human dig-
nity. Even where freedom is by law denied, dignity must still subsist.

Even the vilest criminal remains a human being possessed of

common human dignity.

Justice William Brennan

Supreme Court of the United States of America
Furman v Georgia (1972)

Recognition of a person’s dignity presupposes active respect for his hu-

man rights, self-esteem and self-determination. Human dignity should
not be measured according to any individual worth. It is a synonym
for human worth, the inherent excellence of the human person as it
is. A society should respect each of its members as a person on the
basis of the notion of human dignity. This notion also requires that
the interests and welfare of the individual are considered as prior to
the sole interest of society. The individual should never be sacrificed
for the sake of society or science. However, there might be exceptional
circumstances in which the interests of others or the community as a
whole are so important that infringing upon the interests of individu-
als is unavoidable in order to save others or the community.

This casebook contains 30 case studies. Every case has been dealt with
by a high judicial instance and offers a description of the type of ethi-
cal problems involved. Each case is followed by general guidelines for
the edification of students who must themselves, under the guidance
of their lecturer, study the case, discuss the possible solutions and re-
ject what they consider unsuitable before reaching their own decision.
The aim of the project is to produce a tool and a platform for active
participation of the students in the decision-making process.

Combined efforts of teaching, educating and training by the use of

such a methodology may plant and root in the hearts of the students
ethical values that should guide any physician providing patient care.

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 At this point, I would like to thank my colleagues of the working group
for this casebook for their perseverance and commitment to this proj-
ect, as well as the editorial assistants from the International Center
for Health, Law and Ethics at the University of Haifa and from the
UNESCO Secretariat.

Amnon CARMI
Coordinator of the Working Group on Human Dignity and Human Rights
UNESCO Advisory Expert Committee for the Teaching of Ethics

UNESCO Chair in Bioethics

University of Haifa, Israel

xii

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 Case Study 1

Case study 1

Privacy

Dr. D was an obstetrics/gynecology resident pursuing a joint residency

at the State University Medical Center and the regional Hospital. Dur-
ing an invasive surgical procedure, Dr. D was accidentally cut by the at-
tending physician. The record does not indicate whether there was any
actual blood contact between Dr. D and the patient. It appears there
was no blood exposure, although no one can be certain.

The following day, Dr. D voluntarily submitted to blood testing for the
HIV virus. The results confirmed that Dr. D was HIV-positive. After
being informed of the test results, Dr. D willingly withdrew from par-
ticipating in further surgical procedures, informed the appropriate of-
ficials of his condition, and requested a voluntary leave of absence.

Upon investigation, the Medical Center identified 279 patients who

had been involved to some degree with Dr. D during the course of their
medical treatment. Likewise, the Hospital identified 168 patients who
had been in contact with Dr. D since the time of his joint residency.
Unfortunately, hospital records do not necessarily indicate each time a
physician is cut, nor do they specify the distinct role of each physician
in a surgical procedure. Thus, every patient with a reasonable chance
of exposure to Dr. D was included in the statistics outlined above.

Both the Medical Center and the Hospital filed petitions alleging a
‘compelling’ need to disclose information regarding Dr. D’s condition
to those patients potentially affected by contact with him. In addition,
the hospitals believed there was a compelling need to disclose Dr. D’s
name to the other treating physicians in the department, so that those
physicians could contact their patients in the event they had been as-
sisted by Dr. D in any invasive procedures.

In response, Dr. D asserted his right to privacy, arguing that no compel-

ling need was tantamount to a justification to disclose his HIV-related
information.
1

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BIOETHICS
CORE Casebook Series: Human Dignity and Human Rights
CURRICULUM

Should the hospitals disclose Dr. D’s disease?

Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES Medical institutes have a duty to insure the health of their

patients to the best of their ability. Therefore, it is the hospital’s
responsibility to inform possibly affected individuals of their
potential exposure to HIV and to offer them treatment, testing
and counseling. In addition, disclosure of Dr. D’s identity is
necessary to prevent the spread of AIDS.

NO The hospitals have no right to disclose Dr. D’s name to the other
treating physicians in the department. Dr. D’s right to privacy is
not different from that of any other person. Therefore, disclosing
Dr. D’s name is a severe violation of his right to privacy.

YES Undoubtedly, an individual’s health problems are a private

matter to be dealt with subject to informed consent. However,
Dr. D’s medical problem is not his alone. It became a matter of
public concern the moment he picked up a surgical instrument
and joined a team involved in invasive procedures. Therefore,
the hospitals must disclose Dr. D’s disease.

NO Disclosing Dr. D’s disease will send the public a message

that they are at risk of contracting AIDS if treated by an
HIV-infected physician. Hence, hospitals in the future
will risk liability if they fail to follow through with similar
unsubstantiated patient notification. Expensive medical care will
become even more costly due to needless repeated HIV testing
and the high cost of doctors indemnity insurance. Furthermore,
physicians and other health care workers will be discouraged
from treating those infected with HIV.

NO This extensive notification will discourage physicians and other

health care workers from treating HIV infected patients.

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 Case Study 1

Notes about the case study

Court decision
The case came before the Court of the country. The court weighed
the competing needs of public disclosure and the doctor’s right to
privacy. The Court ruled that the hospitals had met the test and or-
dered that Dr. D’s identity and his HIV-related information may be
conditionally revealed.

The trial court’s order:

…Petitioners are hereby authorized to disclose the identity of Dr.

D, M.D. as follows and only as thus authorized:
1. By providing the name of Dr. D to the physicians in the
Obstetrics and Gynecology Departments including the physicians
in the residency program.
2. By providing the name of Dr. D to a physician authorized in
writing by a patient for whom Dr. D participated in a surgical
procedure or obstetrical care.
3. By describing Dr. D in letters to patients and in media
releases as ‘a physician in our joint Obstetrics and Gynecology
residency program’ and by setting forth the relevant period of
such service.

Each physician to whom the name of Dr. D is provided under

1. and 2. above shall be reminded that the Act prohibits further
disclosure of such information.

The Superior Court affirmed the trial court’s order allowing the hospi-
tals to inform patients of Dr. D’s HIV status, stating that the hospitals
were allowed to release otherwise confidential information about the
appellant due to the compelling need to inform and treat patients po-
tentially exposed to HIV.

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BIOETHICS
CORE Casebook Series: Human Dignity and Human Rights
CURRICULUM

Discussion
Discussion Privacy
Human dignity is probably one of the most important principles of
bioethics. Although there is no clear definition for this principle, it is
not just a saying, but rather reflective of the need to promote respect
for the intrinsic value of every individual human being. To achieve this
goal, international bio-law defines dignity as an overarching principle
accompanied by other effective and practical rights, such as privacy.

The right to privacy is an integral part of the inherent right of every

human being to dignity. It represents the right of every individual to
determine when and how much personal information will be exposed
to the public. Every human being has a right to privacy and thus, pa-
tients, as well as practitioners, are entitled to it.

This right actually enables individuals to maintain their autonomy

and to live as they want. Some countries ground this right in their
laws, as stated in Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Bioethics and
Human Rights:

The privacy of the persons concerned and the confidentiality of

their personal information should be respected. To the greatest
extent possible, such information should not be used or disclosed
for purposes other than those for which it was collected or
consented to, consistent with international law, in particular
international human rights law.

Nevertheless, the right to privacy sometimes conflicts with other rights,

such as the right of others to know the truth about their health. In
such situations, we must find a balance between the different rights
and interests.

The right to confidentiality is not an absolute right. Sometimes, third

parties face risks that require the withdrawal of this right. We must con-
sider the gravity and imminence of the threat. Where the threat is seri-
ous and imminent, then even coerced disclosure would be appropriate.

It should be emphasized that, in some countries, such disclosure is set

out by the law.

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 Case Study 1

In addition, the public’s right to know about incidents that may affect
them is also part of their right to dignity.

One of the most common practices for balancing the two rights is
revealing only the relevant information while avoiding disclosure of
names etc.

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BIOETHICS
CORE Casebook Series: Human Dignity and Human Rights
CURRICULUM

Case study 2

Physician’s rights

Dr. M was an obstetrician and gynecologist. He performed an abdomi-

nal hysterectomy on Mrs. H, a 53-year-old patient.

Prior to the surgery, Dr. M informed Mrs. H of the risks and potential
complications of the procedure. He discussed with her the general an-
esthetic she would be receiving and its possible complication. He told
her about the potential of injuring other organs adjacent to the uterus,
including the bowel, bladder, uterus, and rectum. The risk of bleeding
during and following surgery was discussed with her, as well as the risk
of post-surgical infection. After Dr. M had disclosed all material risks
attendant to the surgery, Mrs. H consented to the operation.

Dr. M had been suffering from epilepsy since 1989, information he did
not disclose to Mrs. H. Dr. M did not suffer an epileptic seizure in the
operating theatre during Mrs. H’s operation, nor was his ability to per-
form the surgery affected by the medication he was taking.

During the two days subsequent to the surgery, Mrs. H’s bladder failed
to function correctly because an incision had been made to the bladder
(cystotomy) during the initial surgery. A urologist was called in to re-
pair the damage to the bladder. Early the next morning, Mrs. H passed
away due to a pulmonary embolism in her lungs.

Should Dr. M have disclosed his epilepsy to Mrs. H prior to obtaining her
consent to the surgery?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

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 Case Study 2

YES When obtaining a patient’s consent for a surgical procedure, an

attending surgeon must disclose any personal medical history
that might have a bearing on the patient’s decision of whether
to be operated on by the attending surgeon. Failure to disclose
such information may be considered medical battery, which
is defined as ‘the intentional violation of a patient’s rights to
direct his or her medical treatment’. Dr. M’s non-disclosure of
his medical condition constituted misrepresentation or fraud
toward Mrs. H when she signed her informed consent to the
hysterectomy surgery.

NO The fact that Dr. M suffered from epilepsy should not be

disclosed in obtaining Mrs. H’s consent. A physician has the
same right to confidentiality as any other person, so long as his
medical condition does not harm his ability to perform surgery.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
The case came before the Court of the country. The court concluded
that Dr. M’s non-disclosure to Mrs. H of his personal medical condition
was not part of the surgeon’s duty to inform the patient of a material
risk attendant to the recommended surgery.

Dr. M was not obligated to disclose his personal medical history to Mrs.
H. According to Dr. M and his own doctors, as indicated in the letters
put in evidence, the medication he was on kept his epilepsy under con-
trol. He did not have an epileptic seizure in the operating room at the
time of performing surgery on Mrs. H.

Dr. M met the required standard of care in obtaining the patient’s in-
formed consent to the material risks of the surgery contemplated. Dr.
M’s non-disclosure of his medical condition did not constitute any
misrepresentation or fraud committed against the patient.

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BIOETHICS
CORE Casebook Series: Human Dignity and Human Rights
CURRICULUM

Discussion
Discussion Physician’s rights
Individual privacy is one’s ability to protect oneself, or information
relating to oneself, and thus reveal oneself selectively. Doctors are en-
titled to privacy just as their patients are. Privacy, as a human right,
is derived of the individual’s will, so long as it doesn’t hurt another
person. Rights, such as privacy, are natural and everyone is entitled
to them just by force of their being human. One of the most difficult
issues pertaining to this subject matter is determining when keeping
one’s right hurts the right of another.

A doctor’s right to privacy is derived from his right to dignity and the
social concept of the autonomy, by which a physician may treat himself
and continue working (insofar as he does not harm his patients). More-
over, where a doctor discloses an illness from which he suffers, patients
may develop a sense of anxiety, avoid treatment from the physician, and
thus cause harm to themselves.

On the other hand, it is the patient’s prerogative to be sure of his phy-

sician – having no doubt that the physician has only his welfare at
heart, confident that the physician will maintain his secrets and sure
of the trust between them. Failure to reveal an illness, from which the
physician suffers, could seriously harm this trust.

However, in cases where the physician suffers from a disease, he must

consider his own rights and obligations as a doctor and as human be-
ing. This includes his right not to reveal his illness, and the obligation
to care for his patients in the best possible manner, without causing
them unnecessary harm or anxiety.

In such cases, an ethics committee or another external professional

body may be consulted in order to examine the delicate balance and
assist in reaching an informed decision.

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 Case Study 3

Case study 3

A patient’s right to personal

medical information

During 1999, the welfare authorities received many inquiries about Ms.
X’s mental condition. One of these inquiries was addressed to Dr. R,
director of the psychiatric clinic at the local Hospital.

Dr. R was afraid Ms. X might harm herself. He therefore transferred the
inquiry to Dr. A, the district psychiatrist, who decided to call in Ms. X
for a medical examination.

Ms. X came to Dr. A’s clinic. After speaking with Ms. X, Dr. A concluded
that although she is paranoid, there is no reason to force her to receive
mental treatment. Nevertheless, Dr. A advised her to submit to volun-
tary mental treatment, but Ms. X rejected Dr. A’s proposal.

Ms. X felt she was being tagged as ‘mentally ill.’ She wanted Dr. A to
provide her with medical information about her case, including his
medical opinion and his diagnosis.

Dr. A refused Ms. X’s request.

Was Dr. A entitled to refuse to provide Ms. X medical information about

her mental state?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

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BIOETHICS
CORE Casebook Series: Human Dignity and Human Rights
CURRICULUM

YES Dr. A has the right to refuse to provide medical information

to his patient if he believes the patient should not know this
information.

NO The medical information belongs to the patient. The psychiatrist

has no right to deprive the patient of this information unless
there is clear evidence that the information might be harmful.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Supreme Court of the country. The court
concluded that the point of departure is the patient’s right to receive
medical information. Information about the patient’s state is not the
private property of the physician or the medical institute. The informa-
tion belongs to the patient, and the physician keeps this information
in good faith. A patient’s right to receive medical information derives
from the patient’s autonomy and dignity as a human being. If there is
no major reason to deprive the patient of such information, the pa-
tient’s right prevails, and the physician must provide the information
to the patient.

However, the patient’s right to receive medical information is not an abso-

lute right. The physician must consider the impact on the patient’s mental
and physical state as a result of being exposed to the information.

Discussion
Discussion A patient’s right to personal medical information
The notion of ‘respect for dignity’ is not absolutely clear, and there is
no specific definition for that phrase, although it is used in many legal
and ethical instruments. One of the reasons for not defining it is that
it is used in many contexts and has different meanings, which cannot
be fully captured by a single definition. Nevertheless, in order to use
‘dignity’ in our lives, some practical principles were established.

10

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 Case Study 3

While most of the world agrees on the need to respect the dignity
of others (although there are different meanings to the term ‘dignity’
around the world), there are debates as to the practical principles. For
example, we can accept the need to respect the dignity of a mentally
ill person, but we can disagree with the need to provide him with all
medical information (as part of this dignity).

Sometimes, the lack of knowledge increases the patient’s fear and the
pressure that he feels, which could detract from the successful out-
come of the treatment. Moreover, providing the information in the
proper manner, contributes to the trust which the patient feels to-
wards the physician.

On the other hand, there are cases when the patient is unable to in-
ternalize the extent of his illness, and revealing the information could
expose him to injury. For example, a person could become despondent
or depressed, or even harm himself.

Because the physician’s aim is to benefit the patient and not to harm
him, he must take care, with regard to certain patients, which informa-
tion should or should not be revealed to them.

It should be noted that the reason for not revealing the information
should be to protect the patient; the decision may be made within the
framework of an ethics committee or an external body, which would
weigh the importance of giving the patient the information, as part of
his basic rights to dignity and respect, on one hand, and the fear of
harming him, on the other.

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Case study 4

Objection to unapproved treatment

Mrs. CS is a 78-year-old widow afflicted with terminal cancer. She was

admitted to a hospital, where she underwent extensive treatment for
her cancer. Mrs. CS has undergone extensive chemotherapy and availed
herself of all the technology which would offer her the best hope for
recovery, but the treatment was ineffectual in arresting or curing her
cancer. Her condition has steadily deteriorated and her prognosis is
poor; death is imminent.

Due to the unsuccessful conventional treatment, Mrs. CS desires to re-

ceive an alternative drug in an effort to cure or arrest the course of her
cancer. This drug is a chemical compound extracted from the kernels
of apricots and has been, over the years, recommended for the treat-
ment of cancer.

This drug is not generally recognized by qualified experts as a safe and

effective cancer drug, but it has been claimed by its various proponents
to cure or control the spread of cancer, or more moderately, to mitigate
the symptoms of the disease without curing it.

This drug has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administra-
tion or the National Cancer Society of that country. It has not been
proven to be an accepted method for the treatment of cancer. Because
of this, the hospital, in the exercise of its best medical judgment, re-
fuses Mrs. CS or any other hospitalized patient therein to be treated
with this alternative drug.

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Does the hospital have a right to refuse a treatment that the patient
would like to receive?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

NO Mrs. CS has a fundamental right to determine the course of her

treatment, even if the desirable treatment is not recognized by
the hospital. The right is intensified according to the fact that
Mrs. CS has tried all of the treatments that were offered her by
the hospital.

YES It is well known that the patient has a fundamental right to

determine the course of his treatment; likewise, the hospital has
the right to refuse such treatment. If Mrs. CS wishes to pursue a
course of treatment using this alternative drug, she is free to do
so in another hospital that does not prohibit its use.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
The case was held at the Superior Court of the State. The court con-
cluded that the right of the patient to chose or reject a cancer treatment
on the advice of a licensed medical doctor, whether or not it is approved
by the State or hospital, could not be of a more fundamental nature.

By refusing to grant the instant injunction, it would effectively under-

mine the very independent choice which is a fundamental basis of the
right to privacy.

Doubtless, the hospital desires to protect the public and, in so doing,

its own good name. However, the Constitutions of the nation and this
State are irrevocably committed to the principle that individuals must
be given the maximum latitude in determining their own destiny. In

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addition, where a person is terminally ill with cancer and unresponsive

to other treatments, the alleged public harm in the administration of
alternative therapy is considerably reduced.

The hospital asserted that if Mrs. CS or her physician wishes to pursue

a course of treatment using the alternative drug, they are free to do so
in another hospital, which might not prohibit its use. The court held
that, after giving due consideration to the age and weakened physical
condition of Mrs. CS, it would be unconscionably burdensome to both
Mrs. CS and her family to be forced to change hospitals at this time.

The court added that denying Mrs. CS her last opportunity to make
a choice as to how to combat a disease which has ravaged her body
would display a lack of understanding of the meaning of the individu-
al’s rights in a free society.

Discussion
Discussion Objection to unapproved treatment
Terminal patients, whose conditions do not respond to convention-
al treatment, face a very difficult situation. Physicians, striving to do
their best for their patients, seek new ways to relieve their problems
and pain.

The use of unapproved technologies raises the question of progress

versus morality. Scientific progress has affected our moral values, some
argue that such progress, without well defined limits, is dangerous and
we must set these limits before accepting the innovative solutions. An-
other perspective would argue that humanity or mankind is able to de-
fine ethical guidelines within the medical and scientific advancements.

One of the options, in cases like these, is to refer the patient for experi-
mental treatment, which is not registered or defined as ‘conventional
treatment’, but is at an advanced stage of research for medical treatment
and marketing. Countries usually provide legal guidelines for the appli-
cation of medical research to treatment. It must nevertheless be remem-
bered that, whilst we are in need of research, the benefit to the patient
must be increased and harm prevented, to the maximal possible extent.

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When research is the issue, extra care must be taken with these prin-
ciples, as research is not always predictable, and doctors and patients
are not always able to know the impact that the research treatment
will have on the patient’s medical condition. We should apply new
technologies only in a manner that promotes moral and human quali-
ties. However, the difficult question in cases where there is no cure is
whether the ‘experimental technology’ promotes these qualities – this
is the challenge facing the physician.

Sometimes patients, being despaired of the existing treatments, are

willing to take risks and participate in studies involving medication,
substances, or treatments which have not been proven as safe and ef-
fective. In such cases, their participation in the study could cause them
even more harm by not only giving them false hope, but also shortening
their lives and causing damage, as they might discontinue conventional
treatments if they only offer relief and not a cure. Therefore, it is the
physician’s obligation to ensure that patients are treated in a safe way.

When consenting to use treatments that are still in initial stages of

experimentation (e.g. animal experimentation), patients and their fami-
lies expose themselves to emotional stress. Being in an already delicate
situation – willing to spend money on potentially unsafe and improp-
erly tested procedures – they are vulnerable to harsh disappointment
as well as deterioration in the patient’s medical condition.

It must be stressed that consenting to experimental treatment in the

early stages of research, with no guarantee of minimal efficacy and
safety, could detract from public acceptance and convey a message by
which the patient was ostensibly ‘flung’ into treatments that were not
only non-beneficial, but even harmful. Article 4 of the Universal Dec-
laration on Bioethics and Human Rights stresses the need to ensure ben-
efits to the patient, as well as benefits for the whole of mankind.

However, notwithstanding the wish and right of the patient to receive

non-conventional medical treatment, doctors are not obliged to satisfy
patients’ request for such treatment if they are not convinced of its ef-
ficacy and safety.

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Case study 5

The right to life with dignity

X, a woman in her 26th week of pregnancy, consulted a physician at

a private obstetrics and gynecology clinic and asked him to perform
an abortion.

The physician’s clinic lacked facilities and equipment available at a hospi-

tal to provide medical care for premature infants, for example incubators.

The physician performed the abortion in his own clinic. The fetus de-
livered as a result of the aforementioned abortion was alive. The esti-
mated weight of the premature infant was less than 1,000 grams, but
there was a possibility that the infant could continue to develop.

The physician had the ability to implement lifesaving measures swiftly

and easily. Nevertheless, he left the infant unattended and provided
no measures necessary for the infant to survive at the physician’s own
clinic. As a result, the infant died 54 hours after birth.

Should the physician have acted differently?

Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

NO X wanted to undergo an abortion and requested it of her own

free will. It is her right to determine whether the fetus will live
or die. The fetus lacks any rights. Therefore, the doctor did not
breach his duties.

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YES If the fetus has a possibility of surviving outside its mother’s

womb, it should be considered the same as any other human
being. The infant could have survived if appropriate treatment
had been administered. Not only did the doctor breach his duty
to provide appropriate medical care, he also committed a crime
by condemning and sentencing the infant to a cruel death. The
doctor should have referred the pregnant woman to a hospital.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This came before the Supreme Court of the country. The Supreme
Court ruled as follows; this is a case of an expert physician in obstetrics
and gynecology who was asked to perform an abortion on a woman in
her twenty-sixth-week of pregnancy. Said physician was aware that the
premature infant born as a result of said abortion had the possibility of
continuing to develop if provided appropriate medical care.

Moreover, said physician was capable of implementing such measures

swiftly and without difficulty. Nevertheless, the physician abandoned said
infant in his own clinic, leading to said infant’s death fifty-four-hours
later. Under these conditions, the crimes of professional criminal abor-
tion and abandonment by a guardian resulting in death are established.

Discussion
Discussion The right to life with dignity
The individual’s right to dignity, alongside the medical staff’s obliga-
tion to act with respect towards the patients, might apply not only to
a physician’s direct patients, but also to others who become patients
requiring medical assistance such as: infants born to a woman who is
actually an obstetrics patient.

In situations like this, we must ask ourselves whether the life of the
parent bears the same dignity and rights as the newborn child. Based

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on the stance that any form of life is sacred, the fetus enjoys the same
right to dignity as the mother, and abortion is forbidden. Some would
say that the fetus should be considered a human being from the very
beginning of the pregnancy or at least from an early stage of the preg-
nancy. In that case, we must consider its ‘best interest’ at any stage of
pregnancy, and we should not prefer the mother’s interests over those
of the fetus.

Another position will say that parental life is not equivalent to that
of the newborn and, having said that, it is easier to grant the mother
the option of undergoing an abortion. Countries usually pass laws on
this issue, creating a balance between the different positions. However,
some1 state that the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights
argues that unborn infants have no right for dignity.

However, what happens when the ‘unborn infant’ is born? Is his dig-
nity after birth equivalent to his mother’s? If so, he should be treated
just like any other patient, although his mother wanted to abort him. In
such cases, the physician has obligations towards the baby as well.

In addition, we must remember that newborns (especially premature

babies) constitute an extremely vulnerable population that must be
fully protected and sheltered.

In cases where the good of the mother, as she perceives it, clashes
with the good of the fetus, her sole right as the one who decides what
should be done with the fetus (who was already born and is alive) can
be revoked, and the separate rights of the infant could be evaluated
without considering the mother’s wishes.

However, when considering the good of the infant, treatment should

be provided in such cases when it can be saved. Standing aside and
avoiding treatment when medical intervention is called for, while ob-
jectively considering the good of the infant separately from the mother,
could be considered a criminal act.

1 For more information see: Schmidt, H. 2007, Whose dignity? Resolving ambigui-
ties in the scope of ‘human dignity’ in the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and
Human Rights, Journal of Medical Ethics, 33: 578–584

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Case study 6

Withdrawal of medical care from minors

at the terminal stage of life

D is a 14-year-old boy who has Hunter syndrome, a serious genetic

disorder for which there is no known cure. His life expectancy is less
than two years.

D was admitted to the University Medical Center because he was expe-

riencing difficulty breathing. Within a day of admission, he was placed
on a ventilator to enable him to breath. At the onset of aspiration, a
tracheotomy procedure was performed, and a feeding tube (PEG tube)
was inserted into his stomach.

D’s condition is considered stable. He is alert, tracks people with his

eyes, recognizes his mother, and seems to enjoy watching cartoons and
videotapes. D is generally not in pain, though he makes it known he
does not like to be suctioned. He experiences pain when he is moved
because he is edematous. His connective tissue is filled with water,
causing him pain and tightness. He is not on any pain medication due
to the fleeting nature of the pain, which he experiences when he is
moved, washed, or suctioned.

D’s parents decided to remove D from the respirator. D’s mother and
father both testified they understood that removing the ventilator
would hasten D’s death, but felt removal was in his best interest and
would put an end to his suffering. D’s mother visits D every day in the
hospital and was his primary caregiver until he was admitted. There is
no question D’s parents want what is best for him.

When D’s parents requested that D be removed from the respirator

and that other medical care be terminated, Dr. C and Nurse H were not
in agreement with the parents’ decision. Therefore, Dr. C brought the
case before the hospital medical ethics committee for review.

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Should the medical ethics committee decide to discontinue life support?

Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES The medical ethics committee must approve the parents’

decision and consider their feelings. In this case D’s parents are
undoubtedly good parents, and their only wish is to put an end
to their son’s suffering. D lacks the capacity to give his consent
to his medical treatment, and is suffering from a terminal
disease. Since D’s wishes cannot be known, his parents, in their
capacity as D’s natural guardian, are expressing D’s wishes.
Therefore, removing the ventilator is unavoidable.

NO The medical ethics committee must refuse D’s parents’

request. A physician’s primary obligation is to the patient,
and Dr. C is definitely acting in the interests of his patient.
From the medical perspective, D is not at the point of being
unresponsive. Therefore, it is not medically appropriate to
remove the ventilator at this time because D is alert and aware
of his surroundings.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
The members of the ethics committee independently concluded that
the parents’ decision was an ethical one, since it was based upon their
feelings for their child and their concern for his well-being.

Based upon the decision of the ethics committee, this case came before
the Supreme Court of the country.

The court appointed Mr. S as guardian ad litem to protect the rights

and interests of D. Mr. S also supported the parents’ decision to

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remove D from the respirator in light of the hospital ethics commit-

tee’s decision.

Although the medical ethics committee and the guardian ad litem, Mr. S,
supported the parents’ decision, the court reversed this decision:

This court appreciates that young D has lived a very difficult

life, suffering from a progressive life-threatening and altering
disease. It is, however, D’s right to live and this court will not
consider or determine whether it is a life worth living from
anyone’s perspective other than D’s.

The court went on to say:

This decision is made with heartfelt appreciation for all that D

and his parents have endured what they are now going through
and with compassion for what lies ahead for this family. The
parents are devoted, conscientious, sincere, loving and trying to
do what is best for their child. They have prepared themselves
to accept the inevitable and love D enough to let him go. Based
upon the evidence adduced at the hearing, however, this court
does not find that it has been proven by clear and convincing
evidence that it is in D’s best interest to withdraw the ventilator
while he is alert, responsive, seemingly pain free and the burdens
of prolonged life are not so great so as to outweigh any pleasure,
emotional enjoyment or other satisfaction that D may yet be able
to derive from life.

After due deliberation, the court finds that the patient lacks the
capacity to make reasoned decisions concerning his treatment
and that the request of his parents to discontinue his medical
treatment is premature and not in his best interest at this time.

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Discussion
Discussion Withdrawal of medical care from minors at the
terminal stage of life
This case introduces several issues, one of which is the need to respect
one’s choices. The attitude that emphasizes the sanctity of life will not
condone any action whose goal is to shorten life. The viewpoint which
respects the will as a reflection of dignity would consider this kind of
request. However, even the strongest ‘will as a right’ believers do not
confer the right to obtain help toward committing suicide because of a
broken heart. Where is the limit? It is not obvious. One of the answers
might be the principle of rationality. Hence, another question can be:
who defines rationality?

Another issue can be considered as the ability of parents to make such

decisions on behalf of their children. On the one hand, parents usually
act in the best interest of their child, and as guardians, they have the
right to make decisions like these. Moreover, they love their child and
want to minimize his pain and suffering. On the other hand, we cannot
be sure of how the situation affects them, the difficulties they live and
cope with, and to what extent this situation influences their decision.

Another issue in this situation is that of ‘informed consent.’ Preventing

or terminating medical treatment is part of the principle of informed
consent to medical treatment. Indeed, a person’s consent to medical
treatment of his body also includes his right to refuse such treatment,
even if the treatment could prolong his life.

When this relates to minors, who are genuinely (if the minor is too
young) or legally unable (when the law does not authorize an older mi-
nor to such consent) to reach an informed decision regarding the pos-
sibility of avoiding specific medical treatment, then the parents, as the
minor’s natural guardians, may and should sign such informed consent
forms on his behalf. This principle is usually secured in the legislation
of every country, where the age of the minor and the extent of parental
involvement is defined.

The most important consideration in this case is the best interest of

the minor. Guardian decisions are not necessarily always in the best

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interest of the minor, and we cannot always know whether or not the
decision was in his best interest. The decision must be objective and
it must consider only the minors good, best interest, beneficence and
nothing else.

When the minor is an adolescent, in terms of age, with capacity to un-

derstand his situation and the ramifications of receiving or not receiv-
ing medical treatment, he should be given the possibility to express his
opinion and will regarding the situation.

When referring to a minor who does not have the ability or authority
to determine what should be done with his body, his best interest must
first and foremost be considered, as determined in Article 7 of the Uni-
versal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights:

In accordance with Domestic Law, special protection is to be

given to persons who do not have the capacity to consent:

(a) Authorization for research and medical practice should

be obtained in accordance with the best interest of the person
concerned and in accordance with domestic law, However, the
person concerned should be involved , to the greatest extent
possible in the decision making process of consent, as well as that
of withdrawing consent.

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Case study 7

Witholding life-saving treatment

Baby J was born very prematurely on 28 May 1990 after 27 weeks of

gestation. He weighed only 1.1 kg at birth. During his short life, he has
suffered almost every conceivable misfortune. He was not breathing
at birth and almost immediately was placed on a ventilator. He was
administered intravenous antibiotics to counteract infection. His pulse
rate frequently dropped very low, and for the first ten days of his life,
his survival was touch and go. By September 1990, when J was only
three months old, he had already been ventilated on two occasions for
a total of six weeks.

J’s current status is that he is severely brain damaged due to oxygen de-
privation and impaired blood supply around the time of his birth. This
damage is permanent, and the brain tissue lost is irreplaceable. It is de-
batable whether he will ever be able to sit up or hold his head upright.
J appears to be blind, although he may possibly regain some degree of
sight. He is likely to be deaf as well. He may be able to make sounds
that reflect his mood, but he is unlikely ever to be able to speak. It is
highly unlikely that he will develop even limited intellectual abilities.
Most unfortunate of all, he is likely to be able to feel the same extent
of pain felt by a normal baby because pain is a very basic response. He
may achieve the ability to smile and cry. Finally, as one might expect,
his life expectancy has been considerably shortened; at most he will
live into his late teens, but will probably die long before then.

J is not terminally ill, and he is not at the point of death or of dying.

At the moment, J appears to be stable and is breathing independently.

In some ways his condition has slightly improved. Nevertheless, this
improvement is fragile and a crisis could occur again at any time.

The doctors responsible for J’s care have unanimously agreed that they
do not wish to give J further prolonged ventilation and intensive care

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if and when such need should arise. One doctor, however, thought that
a situation might arise in which very short-term ventilation might be
appropriate. The doctors stressed that such treatment is very unpleas-
ant and distressing to J.

The position of J’s parents is not consistent. At first, they accepted

the doctors’ recommendations, but now they want J to be given any
chance possible.

Should the doctors put J on a mechanical ventilator and subject him to

the intensive care associated with this treatment if in the future he suffers
another collapse and cannot continue breathing unaided?

Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES Withholding lifesaving treatment based on the patient’s

quality of life can never be justified. No one but the patient
can determine whether life is worth living. J is not terminally
ill and is expected to live into his teens. Therefore, if possible,
life should always be prolonged by treatment, regardless of
the quality of life being preserved and regardless of any added
suffering caused by the treatment itself.

NO Under these circumstances the nature of the treatment

necessary to preserve J’s life is distressing and painful. Life
should not be preserved at all costs. The quality of the life
to be preserved and the caused distress to the patient by the
treatment necessary to preserve his life must be taken into
consideration; said treatment may not be in the best interests of
the patient.

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Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Court of Appeal of the country. The trial
court judge approved the recommendation of the consultant neona-
tologist that, in the event of further convulsions requiring resuscitation,
J should not be revived by means of mechanical ventilation, unless so
doing seemed appropriate to those involved in his care in that particu-
lar situation. By his order, the judge directed that the relevant health
authority continue to treat J in accordance with that recommendation.

The Official Solicitor appealed. The Court of Appeal dismissed the ap-
peal and held that although there was a strong presumption in favor of
preservation of life, no principle of public policy regarding the sanctity
of life displaced the paramount value of J’s best interests. Accordingly,
even though J is not terminally ill, the court withholds its consent to
life-saving treatment.

Discussion
Discussion Witholding life-saving treatment
It seems that the question of prolonging the life of an infant whose
condition is terminal is one of the most difficult and painful issues
with which we are forced to cope. Today, unlike in the past, we have the
technology that enables premature infants to live; yet, often such life is
involved with significant suffering to themselves and their families.

A very important question we must ask ourselves is whether someone

with very poor quality of life can be considered a ‘human being’. In
other words, does quality of life influence the definition of someone as
a human being? Those who argue that he is not a human being or that
there are several degrees of definitions of being a human being might
agree to withhold treatment, and perhaps even subject such people to
research. The other approach would argue that he is a human being
and his dignity should be preserved as any other person’s dignity. The
fact that his quality of life is negative does not influence his dignity as
a fundamental right granted to any human being.

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Another problem in these cases is that they involve a person who is

incapable of informing us of his opinion or will. It is impossible for ba-
bies to understand, process the information, and make decisions. The
best candidates to make the decision for them are the parents, on the
assumption that, of all people, they will consider the best interest of
their child. However, if the parents cannot make such a decision, it still
must be made; if we take advantage of the technology, we are obliged
to accept its consequences.

The primary consideration should be the welfare of the infant and not
that of the parents or the healthcare system, as determined in Article 3(2)
of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights:

The interests and welfare of the individual should have priority

over the sole interest of science or society.

We are, therefore, obligated to safeguard the interests of the infant,

a responsibility that is, undoubtedly, extremely difficult in situations
such as this one.

A very important principle regarding this issue is the sanctity of life.

One can argue that human life has value and, therefore, it is wrong to
take steps to end a person’s life, directly or indirectly, no matter what
the quality of that life. On the other hand, others might say that there
are circumstances in which a person’s quality of life is so poor that it
should not be maintained, even if technically it is possible. Only peo-
ple who believe in the latter can accept the distinction between actively
killing someone and refraining from action that may save or preserve
that person’s life. However, the most difficult question relating to qual-
ity of life is the question of how it is defined and by whom. Would the
court decide the same if baby J was only blind?

There is no doubt that all of the infant’s parameters must be consid-

ered, both the medical, what exactly is he suffering from and whether
there are technologies capable of helping him or alleviating his suffering
from such a deformity. One must also consider other parameters; will
the infant receive love and warmth even in his current condition and is
it possible to improve anything at all in his present difficult state?

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It would be appropriate, even if it is decided not to prolong the infant’s

life, to do all that is possible to prevent him from suffering (for ex-
ample, not to withhold sedatives, not to let him die of suffocation), and
certainly not to carry out active euthanasia (such as a lethal injection
etc.) even if it is done out of compassion.

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Case study 8

End of life considerations

Mr. AB, a 21-year-old patient in the care of the General Hospital, has
been in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) for three and a half years,
subsequent to a severe crushed chest injury that caused catastrophic
and irreversible damage to the higher functions of his brain. In this
condition, the brain stem remains alive and functioning, while the brain
cortex loses its ability to function. Although he continued to breathe
unaided and his digestion continued to function, he could not see, hear,
taste, smell, speak or communicate in any way, was incapable of invol-
untary movement, could not feel pain, and had no cognitive function.

He was being fed artificially and mechanically by a nasogastric tube

that had been inserted through his nose into his stomach.

Dr. K examined Mr. AB and testified that this was the most severe case
he had ever seen. He went on to say that Mr. AB was likely to survive
for a few years, though no more than five, mainly due to his high risk
of developing infections.

The unanimous opinion of all the doctors who had examined him was
that there was no hope whatsoever of recovery or of any kind of im-
provement in his condition.

Mr. AB gave no clear indication of his views prior to his injury, and his
family was unable to consent on his behalf. Based upon their knowl-
edge of their son, his parents said he would not have wished to con-
tinue in his present condition.

Under these circumstances, the hospital’s geriatric consultant reached

the clear conclusion that further treatment should be withheld. This
would involve discontinuing artificial feeding through the nasogastric
tube and withholding antibiotic treatment if and when infection ap-
peared. If this course were to be adopted, within 10 to 14 days the

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physical functioning of Mr. AB’s body would come to an end, and he

would die of starvation. This process would be unpleasant for those
observing, but Mr. AB himself would be totally unaware of what was
taking place.

Is starvation the proper way to hasten Mr. AB’s death?

Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES The most dignified way for Mr. AB to die is by withdrawing

the artificial feeding system. If this course of action is not
followed, he will die within five years from infection, a much
more distressing death than through the withholding of
nourishment. The manner of his death should not be distressing
or humiliating. Therefore, withdrawing nourishment is the most
considerate and controlled way for him to be allowed to die.

NO Denying Mr. AB nourishment can never be a respectful way

to die. Food is a basic human requirement, and withholding
nourishment is distressing to watch, even if the patient himself
would not experience any sensation.

YES Continuing artificial sustenance and medical treatment will keep

Mr. AB alive, but will not restore him to normal life in any sense
of the word. If he were capable of making his desires known,
he would likely choose to put an end to his humiliation and to
his family’s distress. Allowing him to die and be mourned by his
family would show him greater respect than keeping him alive
in this grotesque form.

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Notes about the case study

Court decision
The aforementioned case was heard before the Court of Appeal of the
country. The General Hospital responsible for Mr. AB’s care asked the
court to issue a declaratory judgment that would lawfully enable the
hospital and the physicians in charge to discontinue all life-sustaining
treatment and medical support measures designed to keep Mr. AB alive
in his existing persistent vegetative state, including the termination of
ventilation, nutrition and hydration by artificial means. They further
asked the court to rule that they could lawfully discontinue medical
treatment to Mr. AB and thereafter need not furnish medical treat-
ment, except with the sole purpose of enabling him to end his life and
die peacefully with the greatest dignity and the least pain, suffering,
and distress.

The hospital’s action was supported by Mr. AB’s parents and family.
The judge granted the requested declaratory judgment. The Official
Solicitor appealed to the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the judge’s
decision. Consequently, the Official Solicitor appealed to the parlia-
ment, contending that the withdrawal of life support was both a breach
of a doctor’s duty to care for his patient, an indefinite duty, and a crimi-
nal act as well.

The parliament also dismissed the appeal, stating that under these cir-
cumstances, discontinuation of life support by withdrawing artificial
feeding did not constitute a criminal act because if maintaining an intru-
sive life support system was not in the patient’s best interests, the doctor
was no longer under any obligation to maintain the patient’s life.

It is true that, in this case of discontinuance of artificial feeding, it can be said

that the patient will as a result starve to death; and this may bring before our
eyes the vision of an ordinary person slowly dying of hunger, and suffering all
the pain and distress associated with such a death. But here it is clear from the
evidence that no such pain or distress will be suffered by Mr. AB, who can feel
nothing at all. Furthermore, we are told that the outward symptoms of dying
in such a way, which might otherwise cause distress to the nurses who care for

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him or to members of his family who visit him, can be suppressed by means
of sedatives. In these circumstances, I can see no ground in the present case
for refusing the declarations applied for simply because the course of action
proposed involves the discontinuation of artificial feeding. …

Discussion
Discussion End of life considerations
The end-of-life period is a very complex situation. Some approaches
say that any right of a person is considered a ‘liberty’ and not an open
permit to destroy and harm, even one’s self. According to this approach,
a person cannot waive his moral right to life, even in situations where
he has no dignity in it.

Another approach states that a person’s right to end his life with dig-
nity is an inseparable part of his honor. Death is a part of life and a
person should, therefore, within his basic right, be permitted to end
his life in a dignified manner, according to his own values.

There are cases when a person’s ability to function is severely impaired,

and his quality of life is considered very poor. Cases in which he prefers
to end his life, rather than continue to ‘live’ in the existing condition,
with no cognitive and/or physical capabilities and no dignity. In such
cases, it must be determined whether he truly wishes to end his life, and
if that is indeed his wish, his desire for dignity should be respected.

However, if we can not determine with full certainty his wish, we can-
not assume that he wants to die, since that assumption is based on our
point of view. It is acceptable, in the ethical world, to choose ‘life’ in
cases where we cannot be sure what the patient’s wishes are, ‘if one is to
err, err on the side of life.’

Active euthanasia (which requires actual termination of life), is gener-

ally prohibited and stands against a physician’s primary obligation to
advance the patient’s health and well-being. However, it seems that
there is more willingness to enable passive euthanasia (the prevention
of life-extending treatment), allowing the illness or the medical condi-
tion to run its own course and end the patient’s life.

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The physician must seriously consider the best interests of the pa-
tient in such cases, and there are circumstances when the termination
of someone’s life is considered his ‘best interest (according to people
whose perception is that ending life is permissible).’

Among the most problematic cases are those where the patient did
not explicitly express his wishes and it is not possible to ascertain what
his real desires are. In such cases, one should try to learn more about
the individual’s perspective on life from letters, as much as such exist,
statements made, or explicit behavior of that person, which can en-
lighten his real wishes.

Another issue we should address is the way in which we choose to

end someone’s life. Withholding food and water is considered an ex-
treme practice, and society hesitates to use such means as a way to
end one’s life. However, withdrawal of medications is not considered
as an extreme practice, and in many ways it is deemed acceptable. It
might be a matter of cultural factors and principles; thus, we should
ask ourselves whether there is a significant difference between with-
drawal of medication and withdrawal of food or if it is just a matter of
psychological perceptions.

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Case study 9

Pain relief

Mrs. GC is a 28-year-old prison inmate. She was approximately seven

months pregnant when she gave birth to her child. Prior to the delivery,
Mrs. GC was transferred from the Correctional Facility for Women to
the Medical and Classification Center (MCC) to facilitate closer moni-
toring of her pregnancy.

Mrs. GC had five prior pregnancies, most of which were pre-term de-
liveries. This fact was documented in the MCC records.

At approximately 7:00 p.m., Mrs. GC began bleeding and felt severe

pain in her lower abdomen; she went to the Health Services and was
seen by Nurse R. Without taking Mrs. GC’s vital signs, performing a
vaginal examination, or attempting to monitor the baby’s heart tones,
Nurse R sent Mrs. GC back to her living unit and told her to return
when the contractions were six to seven minutes apart.

At approximately 9:30 p.m., Mrs. GC’s pain worsened. She returned

to Health Services and reported to Nurse R that she was still bleeding
with severe pain in her abdomen, and her contractions were six min-
utes apart. Nurse R placed her hands on the exterior of Mrs. GC’s ab-
domen and noted that she was unable to feel any contractions. Nurse R
monitored the baby’s heart tones, which were 142 beats per minute.

Despite concluding that Mrs. GC was in ‘possible early labor’, Nurse R

sent her back to her living unit and instructed her to return to Health
Services only if the bleeding increased or the contractions intensified
in severity or regularity.

Following Nurse R’s instructions, Mrs. GC returned to her living unit.

She sat on the edge of her bed, her pain mounting, until 11:25 p.m.,
when she began to scream from the intense pain and moved to the ce-
ment floor, where she lay in a fetal position.

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At approximately 11:45 p.m., Mrs. GC was transported from MCC to the

hospital. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, she delivered a prema-
ture baby boy at 12:20 a.m. Neither Mrs. GC nor the baby suffered any
complications during the delivery. The baby was later released from
the hospital to the care of Mrs. GC’s mother.

Based upon Mrs. GC’s pain and suffering, should Nurse R have
acted differently?

Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

NO Mrs. GC experienced nothing different from what most women

endure during childbirth. Nurse R could not have done
anything to reduce Mrs. GC’s pain and suffering, even if she had
sent her to the hospital. The fact that Mrs. GC gave birth to a
healthy child without complications in the labor demonstrated
that Nurse R acted as she should have.

YES Nurse R should have acted differently. She should have

transferred Mrs. GC to the hospital at 7:00 p.m., so she could
have received medical treatment to reduce her pain and help
her give birth to her child with dignity and less pain. Nurse R
violated Mrs. GC’s human rights and dignity by her acts.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Court of Appeals for the country. Mrs. GC
completed a complaint form used by prisoners to file complaints un-
der the Civil Rights Act. It alleged that Nurse R had violated Mrs. GC’s

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right to freedom from cruel and unusual punishment through her in-
difference to Mrs. GC’s complaints that she was in labor, thus causing
her to suffer both physical and emotional pain.

The Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s decision which held
that Nurse R’s conduct deprived Mrs. GC ‘of the minimal civilized mea-
sure of life’s necessities afforded her by the Civil Rights Act’.

Nurse R was accountable for Mrs. GC’s pain and suffering between
9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., when she was finally transferred to the hospi-
tal. The District Court further held that Nurse R’s conduct in delaying
Mrs. GC’s transfer to the hospital reached the level of callousness and
warranted punitive damages to prevent such an occurrence in the fu-
ture, but the Court of Appeals reversed this decision.

Discussion
Discussion Pain relief
‘Respect of dignity’ is a phrase that is yet undefined. Many believe that
‘respecting one’s dignity’ means respecting one’s autonomy, yet this is
not the case. Although dignity is mentioned in many contexts, it seems
that this phrase mostly relates to the need to protect the inherent value
of every human being, whether a regular person or someone who com-
mitted a crime and is now in prison.

Respecting patient dignity does not only demand appropriate care for
the patient, as the medical staff perceive it, but also requires physicians
to heed patient desires, complaints and wishes, as the patient sees them
(as far as possible), and as he would like to be treated.

Part of respecting a person’s dignity involves alleviating his pain. Pain

can be intolerable and individual pain thresholds may vary so that
whilst one person may not feel any pain, another is unable to tolerate
it. Therefore, it is important to relate to what a patient says, to consider
his wishes and grant him the appropriate treatment.

When discussing vulnerable populations, such as prisoners, it is im-

portant to remember that they deserve to be treated as any other pa-
tient, maintaining their dignity at all times when coming into contact

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with the healthcare system. Thus, assuring such dignity must receive
full attention due to prisoners’ vulnerability (vulnerable sectors of the
population are also referred to in Article 8 of the Universal Declaration
of Bioethics and Human Rights).

We would like to stress that, in cases where the medical staff is unable
to treat the pain or deal with a patient’s complaints, they must refer
the patient to another medical institution or locality, where they will
receive appropriate treatment.

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Case study 10

Right of refusal

HA is confined to a correctional services medical facility, where he

is serving a life term. On May 24, 1991, while he was in prison, HA
jumped or fell off a wall. As a result, he fractured a cervical vertebra,
rendering him quadriplegic. He lacks any physical sensation or bodily
control below the shoulders.

HA suffers from a profoundly disabling and irreversible physical con-

dition. Medical personnel must assist him with all bodily functions,
and HA must cooperate with them when he is being fed and given
medication. His condition not only makes him fully dependent on oth-
ers for all bodily functions, but also renders him susceptible to illness
and infection that require further medical attention.

Since October 11, 1991, HA has intermittently refused to be fed, caus-

ing severe weight loss and threatening his health. He has also refused
necessary medication and treatment for his general care. Consequent-
ly, he is at substantial risk of death from possible pulmonary emboli,
starvation, infection, and renal failure.

Staff psychiatrists have examined HA and found him depressed about

his quadriplegic condition, but mentally competent to understand and
appreciate his circumstances.

Dr. T, a staff member of the correctional services medical facility, who

is the attending physician for HA, would like to give HA life-sustain-
ing treatment.

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Should the physician force HA to get life-sustaining treatment?

Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES Dr. T has assumed an obligation to force-feed and provide

other nonconsensual treatment as he deems appropriate
and necessary because, although HA is competent, as a state
prisoner he is subject to Dr. T’s custodial care.

NO Regardless of his status, HA has the right to decline life-

sustaining treatment, even if said refusal may hasten his
death. By law, each individual is considered master of his own
body, and if of sound mind, he may expressly refuse medical
treatment. A doctor may well believe that surgery or some other
form of treatment is desirable or necessary, but the law does not
permit the doctor to substitute his own judgment for that of the
patient’s by any form of artifice or deception.

NO Since death is the natural conclusion of all life, the precise

moment may be less critical than the quality of the time
preceding it. Especially when the prognosis for full recovery is
dim, the relative balance of benefit and burden must lie within
the patient’s exclusive jurisdiction.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Supreme Court of the State. The court con-
cluded that a competent, informed adult has a fundamental right of
self-determination to refuse or demand the withdrawal of medical
treatment of any form, irrespective of the personal consequences, even
at the risk of death. The right does not depend on the nature of the
treatment refused or withdrawn; nor is it reserved for those suffering

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from terminal conditions. Once a patient has declined further medical

intervention, the physician’s duty to provide such care ceases.

The right to refuse medical treatment is equally basic, fundamental,

and integral to the concept of informed consent. We respect human
dignity by granting individuals the freedom to make choices in accor-
dance with their own values. The principle of autonomy is the moral
basis for the legal doctrine of informed consent, which includes the
right of informed refusal.

Considering the facts of this case, in the absence of evidence demon-

strating a threat to institutional security or public safety, prison offi-
cials, including medical personnel, have no affirmative duty to admin-
ister such treatment and may not deny a person incarcerated in a state
prison this freedom of choice.

Discussion
Discussion Right of refusal
Respecting a person’s choice means granting him opportunities to
choose and act upon choices once made. The assumption that we must
respect people’s choice moulds the character of the society we live in.
Respecting someone’s choice not to live, when such choice is a result of
a sound mind consideration, means accepting him as a human being.

The right to refuse to receive medical treatment, even if it is life-saving

treatment, is expressed in the individual’s right to autonomy and the
need to obtain his informed consent to treatment. The fact that a per-
son chooses not to be treated is also a reflection of his wishes and is
an integral part of his autonomy. The patient’s mere choice is an ex-
pression of his dignity and an expression of the respect which we, as a
society, give him.

One of the reasons that an individual has been given a choice, is the
fact that it is the patient himself who must bear the consequences of
his decision, and therefore, the responsibility for the decision and its
consequences are his, a fact which is expressed and reinforced in Ar-
ticle 5 of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights.

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When a person decides to refuse treatment and this choice has a dra-
matic result, such as death, we must examine whether his decision
was an informed and competent one, or whether it was made under
emotional or other pressures. Just as it is the physician’s obligation
to ensure that consent to the treatment is ‘informed,’ so also must the
patient’s refusal to receive treatment be made with a recognition and
understanding of all related implications.

We must remember that, even if we feel that the patient should have
made a different choice, we might not be addressing the patient’s per-
sonal considerations, his religious and social viewpoint. Only by taking
into account all of these considerations can we bring about the right
decision, which the physicians must then respect and assist the patient
to realize.

In this case, we are talking about a prisoner who is, by definition, a vul-
nerable patient. Nevertheless, we must be sure to respect his wishes as
much as we would do for a ‘regular’ person.

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Case study 11

End of life

Mrs. SR is a 42-year-old married woman who is the mother of an 8

1/2-year-old son. Mrs. SR suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Her life expectancy
is between 2 and 14 months, and her condition is rapidly deteriorating.
Very soon she will lose the ability to swallow, speak, walk, and move
her body without assistance. Thereafter she will be confined to her
bed, unable to breathe without a respirator and unable to eat unless a
gastrostomy tube is inserted into her stomach.

Mrs. SR understands her condition. She is aware of the trajectory of

her illness and the inevitability of her death. Her wish is to control the
circumstances, timing, and manner in which she dies.

Mrs. SR does not wish to die so long as she still has the capacity to en-
joy life. However, by the time she no longer is able to enjoy life, she will
be physically unable to terminate her life without assistance.

Mrs. SR wants a qualified medical practitioner to be allowed to install

the technological means by which she can end her own life at the time
of her choosing.

Should a medical practitioner be allowed to facilitate Ms. SR’s wish to

determine the time of her death?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES The right to live with dignity also encompasses the right to
die with dignity. Therefore, as a terminally ill patient, Mrs. SR

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has the right to choose the manner of her death and to get
assistance from the medical staff in fulfilling her wish.

YES Mrs. SR’s request is no different from shutting down a

respirator to hasten a person’s death. Therefore, the medical
staff should be able to terminate her life when she is no longer
able to enjoy it.

NO Euthanasia is forbidden, and the medical staff should not take

any part in Mrs. SR’s death, despite her wishes.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Supreme Court of the country. The court
dismissed Mrs. SR’s appeal. The court concluded that Mrs. SR’s claim
under Section 7 of the country’s Charter was based on alleged violation
of interests related to her liberty and the security of her person. These
interests cannot be divorced from the sanctity of life, the third value
protected by Section 7. Even when death appears imminent, seeking to
control the manner and timing of one’s death constitutes a conscious
choice of death over life. It follows that life as a value is also involved
in the present case.

Security of the person in Section 7 encompasses notions of personal

autonomy (at least with respect to the right to make choices concern-
ing one’s own body), control over one’s physical and psychological in-
tegrity free from state interference and basic human dignity.

The dissenting Judge concluded that Section 7 of the Charter granting

citizens a constitutional right to life, liberty, and security of person em-
phasizes the innate dignity of human existence. Dying is an integral part
of living and, as part of life, is entitled to protection under Section 7.
It follows that the right to die with dignity should also be protected,
as is any other aspect of the right to life. State prohibitions that would

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force a dreadful and painful death on a rational, but incapacitated ter-

minally ill patient are an affront to human dignity.

Permitting a patient of sound mind to choose death with dignity by

refusing treatment is no different from permitting a patient of sound
mind who is terminally ill to choose death with dignity by terminating
life-preserving treatment, even if, because of incapacity, such act must
be physically carried out by another person at the patient’s instruc-
tions. Nor is there any reason for failing to extend that same permission
so that a terminally ill patient facing death may put an end to his or her
life through another person acting as intermediary. Since the right to
choose death is open to patients who are not physically handicapped,
there is no reason for denying such choice from those who are.

Discussion
Discussion End of life
When dealing with people at the end of their lives, some relevant prin-
ciples should be taken into consideration.

One of the most important considerations is respecting someone’s

choice, even if we would have chosen differently. A right is derived
from entitlement, whose unique feature is that it can be waived by the
individual. If we look at life as a right, we can argue that its fundamen-
tal feature is the ability to decide how and when to end it.

A very common argument in end of life discussions is the sanctity of

life. Those who believe that life has value and that it is wrong to take
steps to end it, will disapprove of any activity that shortens a person’s
life. Those who argue that a human being can and should control his
life and death can make a distinction between actively killing someone
and refraining from an action that may prolong or preserve that per-
son’s life. In a medical context, this distinction would mean that doc-
tors may not administer a lethal injection to end one’s life, but could
withhold treatment that may sustain it.

Another issue we should address in situations like this one is the re-
spect for autonomy, i.e. acknowledging the right of a patient to have
control over his own life, including the decision on how his life should

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end. A competent patient can express his wishes and define ‘quality of
life’ according to his subjective point of view. Some would argue that,
under these circumstances, we should help him fulfill his wishes, even
if they are to end life, while others would argue that it is the same as
assisted suicide, which is illegal in many countries.

The ability to choose and respect choices obligates society to deal with
the implications of the choice. However, as long as the choice does not
harm anyone, we should respect it.

We emphasize that, in any case, the doctor must not take such a deci-
sion alone or unilaterally. Physicians should refer to an ethics com-
mittee or another jurisdictional body to determine the best course of
action on a case-by-case basis. Moreover, even if active euthanasia is
permitted in a given case, this decision cannot obligate doctors to act
in contravention of their own moral conscience, nor can medical staff
be forced to perform such a medical procedure.

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Case study 12

Forced treatment of the mentally ill

Mr. MR, Ms. FZ and Ms. FG had been involuntarily committed to a

Psychiatric Center. Each was being retained pursuant to orders of the
local County Court, which had found them to be persons in need of
involuntary care and treatment, in that they have a ‘mental illness’ for
which care and treatment as a patient in a hospital is essential to their
welfare and their judgment is so impaired that they are unable to un-
derstand the need for such care and treatment.

These patients refused to be medicated with antipsychotic drugs. Their

objections were overruled, and they were subsequently medicated with
various antipsychotic drugs.

Mr. MR and Ms. FZ thereafter commenced a declaratory judgment ac-

tion against the commissioner and officials of the Psychiatric Center.
They sought to obtain an injunction against the nonconsensual admin-
istration of antipsychotic drugs and a declaration of their common law
and constitutional right to refuse medication.

Ms. FG refused treatment with antipsychotic drugs, but was thereafter

forcibly medicated. She alleged that the forcible use of antipsychotic
medication violated her common law and constitutional right to deter-
mine her own course of treatment.

Should the hospital allow mentally ill patients to determine their own
course of treatment?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

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YES Every individual of adult years and sound mind has the
right to determine the course of his medical treatment. This
fundamental right is coextensive to mentally ill patients. The
fact that patients at a state facility are mentally ill or have been
involuntarily committed does not constitute a sufficient basis
to conclude that they lack the mental capacity to comprehend
the consequences of their decision to refuse medication and
to understand that their refusal poses a significant risk to their
physical well-being.

NO The right to reject treatment refers to patients of sound mind.

The above mentioned patients seem to be impaired and to
lack the capacity to make a reasoned decision with respect to
proposed treatment. Therefore, these patients cannot determine
the course of their treatment, and they should be treated with
antipsychotic drugs for their best interests.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Court of Appeals of the country after the
trial court had dismissed the patients’ complaints, mainly, their right
to refuse medication. In addition, the trial court determined that these
patients were so impaired by their mental illness they were unable to
make a competent choice in respect to their treatment. The lower court
affirmed the dismissal, and the patients appealed.

The Court of Appeal reversed the ruling, stating that the individual
must have the final say in respect to decisions regarding his medical
treatment to insure that the greatest possible protection be accorded
with his autonomy and freedom from unwanted interference with the
furtherance of his own desires. This right extends equally to mentally
ill persons, who are not to be treated as persons of lesser status or dig-
nity because of their illness.

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The court stated that the fact that the patients were mentally ill and
were involuntarily committed did not constitute a sufficient basis to
conclude they did not have the mental capacity to comprehend their
decision. The court rejected any argument that the mere fact that ap-
pellants are mentally ill reduces in any manner their fundamental lib-
erty to reject antipsychotic medication.

The court reversed the dismissal of the patients’ action and remitted
the case to the trial court.

Discussion
Discussion Forced treatment of mentally ill patients
Respecting a person’s dignity commits us to respecting his choices. Be-
ing mentally disabled does not preclude the right to choose and to be
respected. A person’s dignity is not embodied in his ability to choose,
but rather exemplifies his existence as a human being. That being the
case, it is not a question of respecting a person’s choices and as a con-
sequence respecting him, but rather respecting him, as a human being,
and as a consequence respecting his choices.

Thus, mentally disabled people have the same degree of dignity as any
other human being and their choices should be respected. For exam-
ple, they have the right to refuse treatment. Every patient’s decision
must be examined in light of the specific circumstances. A patient who
chooses to be hospitalized is not automatically considered to be a per-
son who agrees to every treatment.

Denying their rights on the grounds that they are incapable of making
meaningful decisions cannot serve as an excuse for forced treatment.

Furthermore, informed consent is a basic right that is based on the

recognition of the patient’s human status as a free man and on society’s
obligation to respect his dignity.

Refusing treatment is part of the patient’s expression of autonomy

and dignity.

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In our case, there is no mention of whether or not the patients have a

guardian. If they do, the guardian, who must act in their best interest,
should consider whether or not to consent to the treatment. If they do
not have a guardian, then they are probably somewhat competent and
capable of making their own decisions, which we, in turn, must respect.

Protection of individuals who are unable to give their complete con-

sent must be stronger and executed with as much caution as possible,
so as not to take advantage of their impairment or to advance goals
which are not worthy, as stated in Article 8 of the Universal Declaration
on Human Rights:

In applying and advancing scientific knowledge, medical

practice and associated technologies, human vulnerability
should be taken into account. Individuals and groups of special
vulnerability should be protected and the personal integrity of
such individuals respected.

It is important to stress that the obligation of the medical staff is in-

tensified, owing to the impaired state of the psychiatric patient, but as
long as he is not a danger to society, his desire to refuse treatment must
be considered as an option.

The staff in charge is bound to act in the patient’s best interest and
in a manner which benefits the patient. However, the beneficence
should be considered along with the patient’s personal choice and
view of the situation.

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Case study 13

Bone marrow donation by

a mentally ill patient

Y, a 25-year-old woman, severely mentally and physically handicapped

from birth, lives in a community home. Until the age of 10, she lived
with her parents and three sisters in a close-knit family and since
moving to the home she has been visited regularly by her mother and
sisters. Those visits are very important to Y, particularly because they
maintain her link with the outside world, which is helpful to her and
would otherwise be lost.

Her eldest sister, aged 36, is married and has one daughter, E, aged 6.
Y’s sister suffers from a pre-leukemic bone marrow disorder known as
myelodysplastic syndrome. Her only realistic prospect of recovery is
a bone marrow transplant from a healthy, compatible donor. Further-
more, bone marrow transplanted from a sibling is superior to a trans-
plant from a stranger. Preliminary investigations show that of the three
sisters, only Y would be a suitable donor. Without a transplant, Y’s sis-
ter’s prospects of survival are very poor and are deteriorating fast.

Due to her disabilities, Y is unaware of her sister’s illness and unable to

consent to the tests and surgical procedure entailed in donating bone
marrow. Y understands her own basic needs but cannot understand
the needs of others.

The disadvantages to Y from the harvesting procedure are very small.

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Should Y be a bone marrow donor for her sister despite the fact that she
is incapable giving her consent?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

NO Taking blood for testing and harvesting bone marrow from Y,

who is incapable of giving informed consent, would amount to
assaults upon her and would therefore be illegal.

YES Although the suggested procedure is not therapeutic for Y, it

is in Y’s best interests for such a procedure to take place. By
helping her sister, Y will enable her family to continue visiting
her, and in that way, Y’s best interests will be served.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the court which concluded that the test to be
applied in a case such as this is to ask whether the evidence shows that
it is in Y’s best interests for such procedures to take place. The fact that
such a process would obviously benefit her sister is not relevant unless,
as a result of helping her sister, Y’s own best interests are also served.

The death of Y’s sister is bound to have an adverse affect upon Y’s
mother, who already suffers from major health problems. The mother’s
ability to visit Y would be significantly impaired, not only due to fore-
seeable deterioration in her health, but also by the need which would
then arise for her to look after her only grandchild, E.

In this situation, Y would clearly be harmed by the reduction in or loss

of contact with her mother. Accordingly, it is to the benefit of Y that
she should act as donor to her sister, because in this way, her positive
relationship with her mother is most likely to be prolonged. Further,

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if the transplant occurs, it is likely to improve Y’s relationship with her

mother, who in her heart clearly wishes the transplant to take place.
It is also likely to improve Y’s relationship with her sister, who will be
eternally grateful to her.

Therefore, donating bone marrow to her sister will benefit Y emotion-

ally, psychologically, and socially.

Discussion
Discussion Bone marrow donation by a mentally ill patient
Dignity, according to some traditions, is the intimate and symbolic care
of the individual. Therefore, every individual has dignity and, in order
to respect it, we grant rights, such as privacy and the ability to fulfill
one’s own desire. There are situations where the individuals cannot
have any will, such as cases of mentally ill people. Nevertheless, this
fact doesn’t detract from the dignity, which one still has and which we
still have to respect.

In considering invasive medical procedures for the mentally ill – who

often lack self awareness and are dissociated from their surroundings
– the proposed treatment must be evaluated solely on the basis of the
patient’s own welfare and benefit. Patient benefit is an important ethi-
cal principle in healthcare. However, the good, or benefit, in question
is not the same to different individual patients. In fulfilling this obliga-
tion of beneficence, the medical staff, sometimes intentionally, prac-
tices without patient consent.

When relating to benefitting patients who cannot express their wishes,

general (non-medical) issues can also be taken into account in evaluat-
ing the overall damages and benefits of treatment. In this context, we
should include the emotional trauma that the patient might suffer due
to the death of a close relative, the patient’s attachment to that person,
and reasonable expectations of the patient’s ability to recover from the
loss. It is important to examine all dimensions of the patient’s life and
not to isolate the medical consequences of treatment from other facets
thereof.

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Therefore, in situations where the expected harm to the patient is in-

significant and the benefits are numerous, we might go on with this
procedure, even without the patient’s consent.

While evaluating overall benefits and damages, we should try to in-

volve the patient as much as possible and explain matters to the best of
their capacity for understanding.

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Case study 14

Refusing life-saving treatment on behalf

of a minor

DJ is six years old. He was diagnosed with a highly malignant tumor

that, if not properly treated, will inevitably result in his death. Cur-
rently available treatment methods offer hopes for a cure; however,
these methods necessitate the use of a blood derivative.

Both of DJ’s parents were informed of these facts. Despite being Je-
hovah’s Witnesses, they were aware of the seriousness of their son’s
illness and gave their consent to the treatment.

Three months later, the parents were told that a further round of che-
motherapy treatment was needed to treat the illness.

Several days later the minor’s condition worsened. He was admitted

to University Hospital, where it was determined that another blood
transfusion was necessary. This time the parents made a statement to
the effect that they were aware of the seriousness of the illness. How-
ever, should the minor’s treatment require any further transfusions of
blood, they could not give their consent. Based upon their religious
convictions and on health grounds as well, they were wary of the risks
of blood transfusion.

Accordingly, they insisted that their minor child be treated solely with
pain relievers. In continuing to refuse further chemotherapy treat-
ments involving blood transfusion when no alternative treatment was
available, the parents were denying DJ his one hope of a cure. Thus
they were gravely threatening his health and life.

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Should DJ be treated with blood transfusion despite his parents’ refusal

which is based on their religious beliefs?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

NO The parents have a right to determine the course of treatment

for their own child.

YES Although the parents have the right to determine the course of
treatment for their child, they cannot deprive him of his only
chance to live. Therefore, in this case the child should be treated
with the life-saving treatment, including blood transfusion.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Constitutional Court of the country. The court
affirmed the first instance decision. This decision concluded that in view
of the fact that the parents of the minor child refused further chemother-
apy treatment, they took from him the sole hope of a cure, thus gravely
threatening his health and life. According to the Chief Physician of the
Clinic of Child Oncology of the University Hospital, there was and is no
alternative treatment offering the child any hope of a cure, and his parents
are aware of this fact. In the opinion of the court, the parents, in maintain-
ing their position on treatment, threaten not only the child’s health, but
also his life; thus, they have violated their parental duty, in particular their
obligation to provide proper care for the health of their children.

The right to respect one’s private and family life is not unlimited, as
public authorities may interfere with the exercise of this right, though
only if such interference is in accordance with the law and is necessary
in a democratic society in the interests (among others) of protecting
the health or the rights and freedoms of others.

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Discussion
Discussion Refusing life-saving treatment o behalf of a minor
Minors, as any other human being, have the right for dignity, which
should be respected. Dignity also includes an aspect of cultural diver-
sity. Where people in our society fail to abide to norms, due to their
beliefs, we should respect them and their right to grant or withhold
consent to medical treatment and avoid intervention.

Minors are generally considered unauthorized to grant informed con-

sent to medical treatment. Therefore, their parents grant such consent
on their behalf. In making decisions about their children’s medical
care, parents must consider the child’s welfare and the maximum ben-
efit that treatment can provide the child.

In situations where parents make decisions for their child, most of the
problems arise when they make choices that seem to contradict their
child’s best interest.

There was controversy regarding what standard to use when defining

goals of treatment. Today, the ‘best interest’ standard is most accept-
able. However, it may be difficult to determine what is in a child’s best
interest, particularly when making value-laden choices, as in cases in
which parental decisions involve core beliefs, religious faith, and other
considerations. In principle, these considerations should be respected,
as described in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and
Human Rights:

The importance of cultural diversity and pluralism should be

given due regard. However, such considerations are not to be
invoked to infringe upon human dignity, human rights and
fundamental freedoms, nor upon the principles set out in this
Declaration, nor to limit their scope.

However, there are exceptional cases in which parental beliefs are so

extreme or strongly held that they may cause real harm. In these cases,
it is important to determine if the parents’ considerations are damag-
ing to the child.

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There are various conditions that must be met in order to override

parental autonomy2:

a. The medical professionals are in agreement with regard to the

definition of the appropriate treatment in an individual case

b. The expected outcome of treatment is a relatively normal life of

reasonably good quality.

c. The child would die without treatment.

Decisions to act in contrary to parents’ opinion may be considered by

an ethics committee or similar body, while giving primary weight to the
child’s needs and welfare.

2 Gaylin, W.; Macklin, R. (eds.) 1982, Who Speaks for the Child? The Problems of Proxy
Consent (The Hastings Center Series in Ethics), New York, NY: Springer.

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Case study 15

A minor refusing life-saving treatment

because of faith

LDK is a 12-year-old patient suffering from a fatal disease known as

acute myeloid leukemia. After consulting with doctors at the Sick Chil-
dren’s Hospital, the family was advised that the recommended treat-
ment was chemotherapy, which would necessitate blood transfusions.
This treatment is both intensive and aggressive and could go on for a
considerable period of time. No alternative treatment was offered.

Because LDK and her parents are Jehovah’s Witnesses, they could not
consent to any treatment that would include the transfer of blood or
blood products.

LDK strongly objected to chemotherapy, with or without blood trans-

fusions. LDK had been hospitalized together with other leukemia pa-
tients and had seen other children who were undergoing chemother-
apy treatment. Some of these children lost their hair, cried out in pain
and begged not to have any further treatment.

LDK has stated clearly that if an attempt is made to transfuse her with
blood, she will fight that transfusion with all the strength she can muster.

All the family’s efforts to obtain assistance at several hospitals around

the world were in vain. LDK’s condition began to deteriorate. Again,
the only option offered was chemotherapy and blood transfusions, and
again this option was unacceptable to LDK and her family.

LDK and her parents proposed their own treatment plan. The family
would remove LDK from the hospital and place her in the home of
relatives, where she would be treated with mega-vitamin therapy under
physician supervision. There are no statistics on the rate of success of
the mega-vitamin treatment.

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LDK has wisdom and maturity well beyond her years. She has well-
considered, firm and clear religious beliefs.

Should the physicians responsible for LDK’s treatment force her to

undergo chemotherapy, including blood transfusions?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

NO Although LDK is a minor, she is mature for her age and

is capable of understanding the consequences of the
recommended treatment, which not only contradicts her beliefs,
but is also aggressive and painful. Therefore, the course of
treatment should be the one suggested by her and her family,
even though its therapeutic value is unclear.

YES Despite LDK’s maturity, she is a minor; she cannot evaluate the
risk of death. Her wishes should be heard, but the treatment
cannot be motivated by her fear of painful treatment. Moreover,
her religious beliefs cannot be respected if they deprive her of
life-saving treatment. In addition, the treatment suggested by
her and her family is not an alternative treatment because its
therapeutic value has not yet been discovered.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
The case came before the Provincial Court of the state. The Children’s
Aid Society sought an order finding LDK to be a child in need of protec-
tion because she and her parents were unwilling to submit to treatment
involving blood transfusions. The court concluded that the agency failed
to reveal its legal onus to prove that this child is in need of protection.

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The treatment proposed by the hospital addresses the physical disease

only. It failed to address the patient’s emotional needs and her reli-
gious beliefs. The emotional trauma she would experience as a result
of any attempt of transfusion could have nothing but a negative effect
on any treatment being undertaken.

LDK should be given the opportunity to fight this disease with dignity
and peace of mind. That can only be achieved by accepting the plan put
forward by her and her parents. Despite the lack of statistics regarding
the rate of success with the mega-vitamin treatment, this treatment
is still preferable. During this treatment, LDK will be surrounded by
her family, and she will be free to communicate with her God. She
will have peace of mind and can continue attempting to overcome this
dreadful disease with dignity.

Discussion
Discussion A minor refusing life-saving treatment because of faith
We use human rights to set global norms. However, there is a percep-
tion that, since these norms grew from historical and social circum-
stances, they are not relevant to societies and people who have differ-
ent beliefs or cultures. A possible answer to that claim is that, although
human rights have roots in a certain culture, they still have sufficient
flexibility to suit cultural diversity.

We accept refusal to life-saving treatment in respecting a person’s au-

tonomy. A person’s refusal to treatment, while taking personal respon-
sibility for the outcome, is an expression of his dignity as a human
being. The medical staff cannot replace the patient’s inner feelings by
their own considerations.

When this relates to a minor, who is legally incompetent and cannot

refuse or consent to treatment, but on the other hand does understand
the situation and its consequences, his wishes must be considered and
he must be involved, as much as possible, in the decision. This issue
is addressed in Article 7(a) of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and
Human Rights, and in the various health-related international instru-
ments and UN conventions, such as in Article 12 of the Convention on
the Rights of the Child.

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The more mature the adolescent and the deeper his capability to un-
derstand, the more conscious we must be to respect his dignity and
wishes. When the child has beliefs which do not correspond with our
own or when he lives within a different culture, we ought to be flexible
and consider his will as well.

The need to balance between the fact that the patient is a minor and
that he has full understanding of the situation and is mentally compe-
tent, obligates the medical team to consider local regulations on the
one hand, but also to pay attention to the minor’s needs, on the other.

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Case study 16

Refusing treatment due to religious beliefs

A, a minor aged 15 years and 10 months, became ill and was admitted
to the hospital on September 8, 1990, where he was diagnosed with
leukemia.

Conventional treatment for A’s disease involves the administration of

four drugs. The side effects of two of those drugs necessitate blood
transfusions from time to time. This recommended treatment offers an
80% to 90% chance of full remission. The hospital was unable to fol-
low this conventional course of treatment because A and his family are
devout Jehovah’s Witnesses, and blood transfusions are contrary to the
tenets of their faith.

A expressed his refusal to receive the needed blood transfusion. His

refusal was supported and continued to be supported by his parents,
who likewise refused to give their consent, though they consented to
all other hospital treatment.

An alternative treatment offers only a 60% chance of remission. Be-

cause the child indicated his refusal to receive a blood transfusion, and
because he was supported by his parents, the hospital resorted to the
alternative course of treatment. Within two weeks, the child’s condi-
tion deteriorated to the point where his life was threatened.

According to local law, a minor who has attained the age of 16 years
can lawfully consent to a medical treatment. In the absence of consent,
treatment would constitute a trespass to the minor, as much as it would
be if he were an adult.

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Should the physicians respect the wishes of A and his family not to re-
ceive any blood transfer?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES The physicians should respect A’s wishes and his refusal of
the treatment. A is almost 16, an adult patient with full mental
capacity, so he has an absolute right to refuse treatment, even if
the decision is considered to be misguided, irrational, or wrong
according to medical or legal opinion, and even if the ultimate
outcome is death.

NO A is a minor and therefore, by law, is not capable of deciding.

Nevertheless, even if A were legally capable of determining the
course of his treatment, his best interests are to receive the
blood transfusion. Therefore, the physicians should act in A’s
best interest, even at the expense of A’s own wishes.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
The above mentioned case was heard by the Family Division of the
state, where the hospital sought the approval of the court to treat A as
it saw fit, including the administration of blood transfusions. The court
stated that although A was a boy with sufficient intelligence to be able
to make decisions about his own well-being, his condition involved a
range of decisions, some with implications beyond his ability to grasp.
Nevertheless, the court was impressed by his obvious intelligence, his
calm discussion of the implications, and his assertion that he would
refuse even knowing he might die as a result.

In the court’s view, A did not sufficiently comprehend the pain he

was likely to suffer, the fear he would experience, the distress not

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only occasioned by that fear, but also and importantly, the distress
he would inevitably suffer as a loving son helplessly watching the
anguish of his parents and his family. A did not fully understand all
the implications involved in refusing the treatment.

The Judge added:

In my judgment, whether or not he is of sufficient understanding

to have given consent or to withhold consent is not the issue for
me. In considering what his welfare dictates, I have to have
regard to his wishes. What he wishes is an important factor for
me to take into account and, having regard to the closeness to his
attaining 16, a very important matter which weighs very heavily
in the scales I have to hold in balance.

In my judgment, A has by the stand he has taken thus far

already been and become a martyr for his faith. One has to
admire, indeed one is almost baffled by, the courage of the
conviction that he expresses. He is, he says, prepared to die for
his faith. That makes him a martyr by itself. Nevertheless, I
regret that I find it essential for his well-being to protect him
from himself and his parents, and so I override his and his
parents’ decision. In my judgment which has been truly anxious,
I have endeavored to pay every respect and give great weight to
the religious principles which underlie the family’s decision to
the fundamental human right to decide things for oneself. That
notwithstanding, the welfare of A, when viewed objectively,
compels me to only one conclusion, and that is that the hospital
should be at liberty to treat him with the administration of those
further drugs and consequently with the administration of blood
and blood products.

Discussion
Discussion Refusing treatment due to religious beliefs
Respecting cultural diversity is an integral part of human rights. Though
we accept the axiom that every human being has the right to dignity
and the right to life, we must also respect his choice to live in certain
way and to hold certain beliefs.

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The right to refuse medical, albeit life-saving, treatment due to reli-

gious and cultural beliefs is part of a person’s dignity, and we should
respect his choice, since we respect him as a human being with dignity
and free mind. This is stated in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration
on Bioethics and Human Rights:

The importance of cultural diversity and pluralism should be

given due regard.

Avoiding treatment, even in cases which could lead to the patient’s

death, exemplifies the social-bioethical principle of respecting the pa-
tient’s will, even when we believe that a different course should be
taken, and the realization of his autonomy to decide for himself.

The right to refuse medical treatment is an aspect derived from the

obligation to receive informed consent for every medical procedure.
We accept that the patient can define what kind of life he wishes to live
and when his life is so poor that it cannot be considered ‘life’ accord-
ing to his beliefs and wishes.

It is important to ascertain whether a person, who refuses treatment,

particularly if such treatment may result in significant improvement
of the patient’s well-being, fully understands the consequences of his
decision and to ensure that he has come to this decision freely and out
of his own accord.

With minors, especially those on the verge of adulthood, their point of

view is most important. We must ascertain that they understand their
situation and the consequences of their refusal, and we must hear their
standpoint and wishes, and take them into consideration.

Local laws sometimes compel the provision of treatment, even without

consent, and the physician must determine whether his patient falls
into this category. In cases such as these, patients’ failure to understand
the situation and/or its consequences is usually accompanied by treat-
ment options that can greatly improve patient health.

In cases of Jehovah’s Witnesses, especially when relating to children,

the courts often enforce treatment.

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Case study 17

Informed consent

Mr. S, a 56-year-old male, consulted his family physician due to respi-

ratory problems. After X-rays revealed patchy infiltration of the lung,
Mr. S was referred to a respiratory specialist, who determined that the
condition was bilateral and recommended an open-lung biopsy, which
Mr. S refused to undergo.

After Mr. S’s condition further deteriorated, he was referred to Dr. D, an

internist specializing in respiratory diseases. Dr. D observed that Mr. S was
exceptionally anxious upon examination. The doctor’s initial diagnosis was
progressive pulmonary fibrosis of the interstitial pneumonitis type, prob-
ably involving fibrosing alveolitis. A biopsy was required to confirm this
diagnosis, but Mr. S continued to refuse to undergo an open-lung biopsy.

Dr. D then suggested an alternative procedure, known as a trephine

lung biopsy. This procedure was inferior to the open-lung method, but
in view of Mr. S’s refusal to undergo the open-lung biopsy, it was an
appropriate alternative. Dr. D explained to Mr. S that the procedure
involved administering a local anesthetic and then inserting a special
needle into the lung while the patient sat on the edge of his bed. He
also told the patient the needle would be attached to a drill. Dr. D then
outlined the procedure’s risks, advising Mr. S that the procedure was
usually virtually painless, but did have two possible complications. Dr.
D did not mention to Mr. S that the procedure also involved risk of
perforating the spleen or the liver, an uncommon risk but not as un-
common as death. Apparently Dr. D was not aware of this risk.

Mr. S consented in writing to the trephine biopsy procedure. Prior to

the procedure, Mr. S was anxious, apprehensive, and nervous. He told
Dr. D he could not afford to die. He was given atropine and sedated
with normal and accepted doses of morphine. Once Mr. S had been se-
dated, Dr. D gave him instructions and demonstrated the equipment to
him. After a local anesthetic was administered, the operation began.

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At a critical juncture, Mr. S was directed to hold his breath. Instead, Mr. S
winced and moved, causing his spleen to be perforated.

Dr. D told Mr. S that the required tissue sample had not been obtained,
but did not yet disclose that the spleen had been perforated. When
Mr. S asked Dr. D what he had obtained from the biopsy, he answered
‘something else.’ It soon became painfully obvious that Mr. S’s spleen
had ruptured and had to be surgically removed.

Taking into consideration that Mr. S was an extremely anxious patient,

should the doctor have acted differently with respect to the explanations
he gave to Mr. S?

Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES Dr. D should have acted differently than he did. The patient
was inadequately prepared psychologically for his required role
in the procedure. Since Mr. S was recognized as an unusually
anxious person, Dr. D should have won Mr. S’s confidence
through better and more effective communication. Dr. D gave
instructions and demonstrated the equipment only after Mr. S
had been sedated. The procedure should have been explained
and the equipment demonstrated when Mr. S was in an un-
sedated state. Furthermore, this particularly anxious patient
should have been prepared for this procedure through careful
rehearsal to teach him how to hold his breath and refrain from
moving. The statement Mr. S made to Dr. D immediately before
the procedure, that he could not afford to die, was a clear
indication of his apprehension. At that point, Dr. D should have
evaluated Mr. S’s willingness to proceed, which could have been
tested only when Mr. S was alert and not under sedation.

NO Dr. D acted properly and did not breach his obligation to

provide Mr. S explanations about the procedure. All the

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explanations that should have been given before the procedure

were provided. Determining that this behavior constitutes a
breach of a physician’s obligation to his patient would increase
the liability on physicians to an intolerable level.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
Mr. S sued Dr. D for negligence. The alleged acts of negligence includ-
ed a failure to obtain informed consent, a failure to perform the biopsy
in accordance with a reasonable standard of care, and falling below a
reasonable standard of post-biopsy care.

The court ruled that Dr. D failed to provide a reasonable standard of

medical care. This very anxious patient had not received adequate psy-
chological preparation for his required role in the procedure. His re-
quired cooperation should have been explained to him before he was
sedated and should have been carefully rehearsed. Mr. S’s expression
of acute fear, even under sedation, should have led Dr. D to discontinue
the procedure. Discussing the procedure further while the patient was
not sedated might have elicited his agreement to undergo it.

The court determined that the physician-patient relationship in this

case was less than satisfactory. Dr. D failed to take Mr. S into his con-
fidence and provide him the information a patient is entitled to, as a
matter of professional relations, if not a matter of law.

Dr. D had an obligation to inform Mr. S that his spleen had been per-
forated. Mr. S asked Dr. D what he had obtained at the biopsy. Dr. D’s
failure to be candid with Mr. S was a breach of obligation.

The cumulative effect of all these circumstances, even if most of them

individually might be characterized as errors of judgment, is to estab-
lish liability for negligence on the part of the defendant.

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Discussion
Discussion What is informed consent?
Every medical treatment requires the patient’s informed consent. The
significance of this consent is that a person agrees to: the treatment,
the ‘invasion’ of his body, understands the significance of his medi-
cal condition and the meaning of the treatment, the dangers and the
benefits inherent in the treatment, and grants his informed consent
willingly and without coercion, as determined in Article 6(1) of the
Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights:

Any preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic medical intervention

is only to be carried out with the prior, free and informed consent
of the person concerned, based on adequate information.

Informed consent is a doctrine which was developed by courts over the

years and is anchored in law in certain western countries. This doctrine
strengthens mutual physician-patient trust and respect by helping the
patient reach an informed decision freely with respect to the treatment
to be given.

In order to obtain an ‘informed’ decision, three elements must be

determined:

1 Free will: the patient’s wish, without coercion or outside pressure.

2 Information: The patient must receive all of the information regarding

his condition and the proposed treatment, including alternative
treatments, side effects and the effect of not receiving treatment.

3 Competence: The patient must be competent to make an informed

decision.

Consent will be valid only if it has been given in respect of the pro-
posed treatment.

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The obligation of the physician is to strictly adhere to the rules of in-

formed consent, as part of the autonomy and respect he is obliged to
his patient. Therefore, the physician must always consider the personal
characteristics of the patient, such as anxiety, his special peculiarities,
as much as such exist and his unique personality and relate to it by
providing the relevant explanations. One of the challenges facing the
medical staff is providing each patient with appropriate information.

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Case study 18

Information required for informed consent

Approximately one month after her marriage, Mrs. NP went to Dr. A’s
clinic seeking help in becoming pregnant quickly. Shortly after being
treated with ovulation stimulants, Mrs. NP conceived, resulting in a
pregnancy with four fetuses. As the pregnancy advanced, the risk to the
fetuses grew. Therefore, Mrs. NP was referred to the outpatient clinic
of the local hospital, where her pregnancy continued to be monitored
and treated.

Mrs. NP is a devoutly religious woman who prays every day. The hospi-
tal at which she was receiving treatment is also a religious institution.

The chances for such a pregnancy to reach term are low due to the risk
of premature delivery and all the complications of such a delivery. To
overcome these problems, several techniques have been developed in
recent years to reduce the number of fetuses. Fetal reduction preserves
the well-being of the other fetuses and extends the pregnancy to term.
Such reduction techniques can be carried out during the first trimes-
ter and even at the beginning of the second trimester. Although this
method is considered ‘cruel’, it has successful results. Nevertheless, fe-
tal reduction carries a risk of killing all of the fetuses.

The hospital and the medical staff are opposed to this method because
they believe it is forbidden by their religious beliefs. Therefore, the
hospital does not perform such procedures.

Mrs. NP and her husband were not informed of the possibility of fetal
reduction.

Due to complications in Mrs. NP’s pregnancy, she delivered the four

fetuses in her 25th week of pregnancy. All of the fetuses died shortly
after delivery.

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Was the physician obligated to inform Mrs. NP and her husband about
the possibility of fetal reduction, even though this procedure is contrary to
their religion, contrary to the physician’s conscience, and contrary to his
own religious beliefs?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES The physician should inform Mrs. NP and her husband of all
the possibilities even if they go against his conscience and his
own beliefs. After receiving all of the information, Mrs. NP
and her husband can decide what to do in accordance to their
conscience. Depriving relevant information from Mrs. NP and
her husband is a violation of their right to autonomy.

NO The medical staff believes that reducing fetuses is forbidden

according to their religious beliefs. Therefore, they are not
obligated to tell Mrs. NP and her husband about an option
forbidden by their religion.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the District Court of the state which concluded
that according to local law, a physician is not obligated to perform a
procedure if it goes against his personal conscience. In this case, Mrs.
NP and her husband are religious people treated at a religious institu-
tion. Hospital personnel do not consider fetal reduction to be an op-
tion because they believe it goes against their religion.

It is the hospital’s right to act according to its principles and values.

However, the hospital should have informed Mrs. NP and her hus-
band that such a procedure exists and should have allowed Mrs. NP

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and her husband to decide about the procedure, even if the hospital
is against it.

Discussion
Discussion Information required for informed consent
Although dignity has a central role in bioethics, it is not a magic word
and in order for it to become functional, it requires practical norms,
such as informed consent. Informed consent is regarded as a right of all
human beings, stating that any medical treatment may only be admin-
istered upon obtaining the patient’s informed consent. The patient’s
power to grant informed consent is an integral part of his autonomous
right to decide what shall be done to his body.

In order to grant informed consent, patients must receive all relevant

information, including details of their medical condition and prog-
nosis, the available therapeutic alternatives, and the repercussions of
treatment or non-treatment.

In many instances, patients decide on a proposed course of treatment

based on personal, subjective and non-medical, factors: emotional, re-
ligious, and others.

The doctor is obligated to provide patients with all of the relevant in-
formation, enabling them to reach a well-considered decision. Relevant
information includes therapeutic alternatives that are more expensive
or less accessible at the given location. The doctor should not replace
the patient’s consideration by his own to choose between therapeutic
options. Even if the doctor knows the patient and his beliefs, even if
the doctor thinks he knows what the patient will choose, this does not
absolve the doctor’s obligation to supply complete and current infor-
mation so that the patient can independently decide on the option that
is best for him.

On the other hand, the physician and the medical institute are also
entitled to respect their own beliefs and norms. Accordingly, one must
respect medical institutions which act according to religious beliefs or
cultural tradition. Thus, we cannot force such an institute to perform a
procedure which is against its faith; however, this alone cannot relieve

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the institution from its obligation of informing patients of the exis-

tence of alternative procedures.

Doctors are not obligated to act against their own personal beliefs. For
example, one cannot force a physician to perform an abortion if he be-
lieves it is wrong, just as we cannot force him to help a patient end his
life if he believes that it is considered murder.

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Case study 19

Information about alternative treatments

On 28 January 1991, Ms. X, a 53-year-old woman, was examined by a

doctor, who then ordered a surgical biopsy. On 14 February 1991, the
results of the biopsy showed she was suffering from breast cancer.

At the time, two treatment methods were available for treating Ms. X’s
disease. The first method, mastectomy, entailed surgically removing all
of the breast tissue, while preserving the underlying pectoral muscle.
The second method, known as the conservative treatment or breast-
conserving surgery, involved removing only the tumor and a small
amount of surrounding tissue. The doctor advised Ms. X that while the
conservative treatment for breast cancer was being implemented, this
method was not yet fully and accurately understood. The doctor also
told Ms. X that her breast would be totally removed, but the pectoral
muscle would remain.

At the time of the operation, the conservative treatment for breast can-
cer was not yet prevalent, and mastectomy was the primary method
used. There were not too many reported cases of implementing the
conservative method, results had only been observed for a short period
of time, and the method of treatment had yet to be established. Nev-
ertheless, at the time of Ms. X’s operation, the doctor was aware that
a sizeable number of medical institutions were using the conservative
treatment for breast cancer.

The doctor operated on Ms. X on February 28, 1991 and removed her
breast. Before the operation took place, Ms. X handed the doctor a
letter outlining the complex sentiments of a woman diagnosed with
breast cancer and faced with a choice between continuing to live and
having her breast removed.

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Was the doctor under an obligation to inform his patient about the
conservative treatment for breast cancer which at that time had not yet
been strongly established?

Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES The doctor should have told Ms. X that alternative treatments
were available. The breast is located prominently on the front
of the body and is a symbol of femininity. Losing a breast in
such an operation changes the patient’s appearance and could
seriously affect her mental and psychological state. The doctor
should have given the patient the opportunity to determine the
course of her treatment and not deprived her of information
about an alternative treatment only because it has not yet been
established.

NO The doctor did inform Ms. X that there was a way of preserving
the breast. He did refer, more or less, to the alternative treatment
method and mentioned its pros and cons and the prognosis
after treatment.

NO Since the rate of implementation of the conservative treatment

was low and its safety had yet to be established, the situation
had not reached the stage where the doctor should have asked
whether the patient wanted to try this treatment, despite the
risk in its implementation. Therefore, the doctor’s explanation
was not insufficient as an explanation of the available alternative
method of treatment.

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Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Supreme Court of the country. The court
concluded that if there are several established methods that all adhere
to medical standards, the doctor, as a matter of course, is required to
explain, clearly and explicitly, the differences between the treatments
and their pros and cons so that patient can choose between them after
sufficient consideration.

However, in cases where one treatment has already been established

as adhering to the standard of medicine, while the other has yet to
be established, it cannot be said that the doctor is always under an
obligation to explain the latter treatment. On the other hand, it can-
not be denied that there are instances in which a doctor is under an
obligation to explain even such a non-established treatment. In this
case, the treatment had been implemented at a sizeable number of
medical institutions, a considerable number of operations had already
taken place, and the results had been positively assessed by doctors
who implemented this treatment.

The doctor was aware that the treatment might be suitable for the pa-
tient and that the patient was strongly interested in the suitability and
applicability of this treatment to herself, despite his negative view of
this treatment and his own refusal to implement it himself. Under such
circumstances, the doctor is under an obligation to inform the patient,
within the scope of his knowledge, about the content of the treatment,
its suitability, its pros and cons, as well as the name and address of the
medical institutions which offer this treatment.

The mastectomy surgery for breast cancer is an operation to remove the

breast. Surgical removal of the breast can seriously affect the patient’s
mental and psychological state as a result of the change in her appear-
ance. Such surgery has an impact on the patient’s quality of life, indeed
upon the whole manner in which she conducts her life. Thus, doctors
are obligated to explain the conservative treatment for breast cancer as
an alternative treatment before deciding upon surgical removal of the

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breast tissue while preserving the pectoral muscle. This requirement is

even stronger than in general surgery that does not have such an impact
on the patient’s appearance and quality of life.

Discussion
Discussion Information about alternative treatments
Dignity is not a well defined notion and different sources refer to it
with different meanings. In order to unify the definition of dignity,
some ‘practical rights’ call for particular definitions, such as the right
to approve medical treatment without ‘informed consent’.

To effectively implement this right, the patient must have all of the
information relating to the medical procedure, including information
about alternative treatments. According to one approach, the physi-
cian must disclose every option available to the patient, even if it is not
truly feasible, only then can the doctor be convinced that the patient
will be able to make a fully informed decision. Another approach says
that if the patient is unable to receive the treatment either because it is
unavailable or he cannot afford an alternative treatment, the physician
does not have to tell him about it.

The right of informed consent is an integral part of the patients’ au-

tonomy to determine the treatment most suitable for them, based on
their medical condition, their general life perception, values, beliefs,
and feelings. This autonomous decision is part of one’s personal re-
sponsibility and it follows from the fact that patients will have to live
with the consequences of treatment – whether it succeeds or not. This
principle is expressed in Article 5 of the Universal Declaration on Bioeth-
ics and Human Rights:

The autonomy of persons to make decisions, while taking

responsibility for those decisions and respecting the autonomy of
others, is to be respected.

To obtain genuine informed consent, based on the patients’ sincere and

free will, comprehensive information relating to their medical condi-
tion, available treatment options, as well as benefits and risks involved
in each of the treatment alternatives must be disclosed. Certainly, this

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includes therapies that are less common or more expensive, as long as

they are established and accepted medical protocols. Even if a course
of treatment is infrequently applied or is highly costly, still it should
be discussed with the patient, who may opt for that treatment despite
its cost.

The right to informed consent is not absolute, and in situations where

the patient might be harmed by the information, it is ethical to with-
hold certain information.

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Case study 20

Acting without prior consent due to an

unforeseen medical problem

When Mr. M, a 52-year-old male, was referred to Dr. C, he was in a very

serious state. His symptoms included fever, headache, dry tongue, sinus
infection, and general septic poisoning. Urinalysis indicated his urine
was badly infected; he had stones in his bladder and a large stone in
his kidney. Dr. C operated on Mr. M in May, draining his bladder and re-
moving the bladder stones. The patient was subsequently treated with
injections, and his bladder condition improved. He continued to expe-
rience severe pain on his left side and had also developed a hernia.

A second operation was performed to alleviate the patient’s overall

physical condition. Several months after the second operation, Mr. M
gave his consent to have surgery to repair his hernia. A day or two after
the operation, Mr. M was informed by Dr. C that his testicle had also
been removed during the surgery due to potential problems it might
have caused.

In response, Mr. M said he had not given his consent to the removal of
his testicle and had never been informed that it might be necessary.

Three eminent surgeons supported the correctness of Dr. C’s proce-

dure. They stated that no surgeon could have anticipated the condi-
tion, and that further surgery had been necessary.

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Should Dr. C have postponed the operation until Mr. M was able to give
his consent?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

NO Removal of the testicle was a necessary part of the operation to

repair the hernia, the need to remove the testicle could not have
reasonably been ascertained before any surgery was undertaken,
and consent for further surgery was implied in Mr. M’s request
to repair the hernia.

YES Mr. M did not give his consent to the removal of his testicle.
Under these circumstances, a testicle can be surgically removed
only if the procedure is considered an emergency or life-saving
procedure. If it does not constitute an emergency, the physician
must postpone the procedure until the patient gives his consent.
In this case, however, it must be assumed that the condition of
the patient’s testicle was not considered to be so serious as to
immediately endanger the patient’s life or health, and that there
was reasonable opportunity to obtain the patient’s consent for
surgical removal of the testicle.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
The case came before the Supreme Court of the country. The court
stated that in an ordinary case where there is opportunity to obtain
the consent of the patient, it must be obtained. A person’s body must
be held inviolate and immune from invasion by a surgeon’s knife if an
operation has not been consented to. Such surgery can only be per-
formed with the patient’s consent; if performed without such consent,
it is technically an assault. Every human being of adult years and sound
mind has the right to determine what shall be done with his own body.

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A surgeon who performs an operation without his patient’s consent

has committed an assault, for which he is liable in damages. This is true
except in cases of emergency where the patient is unconscious and
where it is necessary to operate before consent can be obtained.

In the case at bar, the judge found that Dr. C, after making incisions
in Mr. M’s body, discovered conditions that neither party had antici-
pated and that the defendant could not reasonably have foreseen; in
removing the testicle, he acted in the interest of his patient and for the
protection of his health and possibly his life. The removal in that sense
was necessary, and it would have been unreasonable to postpone the
removal to a later date. The Judge came to this conclusion, despite the
absence of express and possibly implied assent on the part of Mr. M.

Discussion
Discussion Acting without prior consent due to an unforeseen
medical problem
In respecting one’s human dignity, we respect his autonomy and re-
quire informed consent before performing any medical procedure. The
patient, who will bear the consequences of the procedure, whether it
is successful or not, must grant his informed consent prior to the per-
forming of the medical procedure.

To verify the ‘informed’ component of informed consent, it is essential to

ensure that the patient understands his present condition, the proposed
treatment, and all of the possible consequences, as opposed to other
treatments, or to not having treatment at all. If the patient is not aware of
this information, his consent cannot be considered ‘informed.’

Nevertheless, there are situations where it is impossible to obtain the

patient’s consent, but he is still treated and everything is done to help
him to improve his condition. An example of such a situation is the
treatment of a person injured in an accident. Sometimes we are able
to obtain the patient’s consent to the treatment, but in order to do so,
the patient would have to undergo some kind of additional treatment.
For instance, it is possible to imagine a scenario where a patient is
under anesthesia and we discover that there is an additional problem

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which was unknown in advance, and for which we would need to

conduct a different procedure, for which the patient had not given
his informed consent.

This problem can be solved in advance if the patient appoints a legal

representative, who may decide on his behalf, and/or if the patient is
aware of such a possibility before the beginning of the treatment and
gives his informed consent to an optional procedure in advance.

According to the common point of view, if the patient is not in posses-

sion of the information in advance and did not give his consent to the
matter, the ‘new’ treatment must not be given and the patient’s consent
must be obtained. However, another approach claims that if the person
authorized to grant informed consent on behalf of the patient is a par-
ent or partner (especially spouses) then there is no need to stop the
procedure. This view is acceptable in societies where the family plays a
great role in the individual’s life.

It should be stressed that if there is a real and immediate danger to the

patient’s life (if the ‘new’ treatment is not given), then such treatment
is permitted.

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Case study 21

Special importance of informed consent

for irreversible procedures

Ms. SK, an unmarried 44-year-old woman, visited the clinic of Dr. P

complaining of prolonged menstrual bleeding for the past nine days.
Dr. P examined her and advised her to undergo an ultrasound test on
the same day. After examining the ultrasound report, Dr. P advised Ms.
SK to come the next day for a laparoscopy test under general anesthe-
sia to make an affirmative diagnosis.

Accordingly, the next day Ms. SK went to Dr. P’s clinic with her mother.
On admission, Ms. SK signed a consent form for hospital admission
and medical treatment, and a consent form for surgery. The admission
card showed that admission was for diagnostic and operative laparos-
copy on 10 May 1995.

Thereafter, Ms. SK was put under general anesthesia and examined by

laparoscopy. While she was still unconscious, Dr. P’s assistant came out
of the operating room and asked Ms. SK’s mother to give her consent
for a hysterectomy on the pretext of saving Ms. SK’s life. Thereafter, Dr.
P performed an abdominal hysterectomy (removal of uterus) and bilat-
eral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes).

Should Dr. P have performed the operation as he did without Ms. SK giv-
ing her consent to the removal of her reproductive organs?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

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YES Ms. SK’s mother gave her consent to the removal of Ms. SK’s
uterus. There was nothing wrong with Dr. P’s actions.

NO No one can consent to the removal of reproductive organs on

behalf of a patient, except the patient himself or herself. This
irreversible procedure deprived Ms. SK of her fundamental right
to become a mother and have a family. No one can make this
choice for her, including her mother or her physician.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case was heard before the Supreme Court who concluded that,
unless the unauthorized additional or further procedure is necessary
to save the life or preserve the health of the patient and it would be
unreasonable to delay the further procedure until the patient regains
consciousness and can decide, a doctor cannot perform such a proce-
dure without the consent of the patient. No emergency or life-threat-
ening situation developed during the laparoscopy.

Where the patient has given consent for a particular surgical proce-
dure, this cannot be construed as consent for an unauthorized addi-
tional procedure involving removal of an organ, only on the grounds
that such removal would be beneficial to the patient or is likely to
prevent some danger from developing in the future, when there is no
imminent danger to the life or health of the patient.

The consent form referred to a diagnostic and operative laparoscopy.

Signing this form does not amount to giving consent for OH-BSO sur-
gery to remove the uterus, the ovaries and the fallopian tubes. Ms. SK
did not give her consent to a hysterectomy and bilateral salphingo-oo-
phorectomy. Consent given by Ms. SK’s mother cannot be considered
as valid or real consent.

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Discussion
Discussion The special importance of informed consent for
irreversible procedures
Part of a patient’s dignity is expressed in the medical team’s obligation to
obtain informed consent to the proposed medical procedure, as stated
in Article 6(1) of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights:

Any preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic medical intervention

is only to be carried out with the prior, free and informed consent
of the person concerned, based on adequate information. The
consent should, where appropriate, be express and may be
withdrawn by the person concerned at any time and for any
reason without disadvantage or prejudice.

The importance of this principle is realized in the obligation to obtain in-

formed consent for each procedure. A broad-ranging informed consent
is not ethical and should not be considered as genuine consent (with
the exception of life-threatening emergencies, where it is impossible to
obtain the patient’s informed consent to the medical procedure).

However, consent is an expression of human dignity and there can be

situations where obtaining consent can harm the patient and detract
from his dignity. Therefore, every situation and every patient should be
regarded individually and according to the particular circumstances of
the case.

For example, there are societies where it is acceptable for close rela-
tives (parents, spouses) to take part in the decision-making process and
where talking to them about the patient is part of the culture.

Another situation arises when an irreversible medical procedure, with

far-reaching implications, is involved. One might think that the need to
obtain informed consent from the patient himself becomes even more
valid and vital, as the relevant procedure has dramatic ramifications
and it is only logical that the person who will be forced to deal with
the consequences should decide whether or not to consent to or refuse
the procedure.

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Therefore, in cases of irreversible procedures, the patient’s wishes must

be properly verified, even if this involves a certain unpleasantness on
the part of the patient such as: the need to awaken him from surgery, in
order to obtain his consent and then re-operate or the need to reveal
details of his disease, etc.

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Case study 22

Assumed consent of an unconscious patient

Ms. C, a 31-year-old woman, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit

of a hospital after suffering a massive intra-cranial hemorrhage. As a
consequence, she sustained irreversible brain damage. She remained
unconscious, and her life was dependent on a ventilator and the skills
of the physicians and staff who attended her.

At the time, Ms. C was pregnant. Her husband was strongly in favor of
maintaining Ms. C’s life support systems until the fetus became viable
and the child could be delivered. It was his stated opinion at that time
that his wife would also have desired that her life be sustained until the
fetus was viable. If her life had to be sacrificed in any case, at least her
child should be given a chance to live.

Ms. C’s physicians agreed that an attempt should be made to maintain

Ms. C on life support so the fetus would have the chance to develop
and become viable. The decision was made not only because it was
considered medically possible, but because, taking into consideration
what the mother’s wishes would have been, it was believed to be in her
best interest to sustain her life in order to deliver her child.

Accordingly, Ms. C was kept on advanced life support systems in the

Intensive Care. By the time the pregnancy reached 32 weeks, Ms. C’s
survival and that of the fetus had been achieved with some difficulties.
She had suffered ‘multiple infections and other physiological and metabolic
complications associated with prolonged life-support in the presence of such
severe cerebral damage’. The time had come when delivery by caesarean
section was fully feasible.

The operation had to be carried out without delay. Each day of delay
would further endanger the child, and the longer the delay, the greater
the danger.

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The husband, however, strongly opposed what he believed to be a pre-

mature delivery. The husband had been told by his spiritual guide that
further time was needed to marshal spiritual healing powers, and it was
therefore essential that the birth be delayed at least another ten days.
He believed that only a further delay would equally ensure the welfare
of the mother and the child.

Should the hospital perform the caesarean section to save the fetus, despite
the husband’s strong objection and in the absence of Mrs. C’s explicit consent?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES Ms. C’s wishes were very clear. She wanted to be kept alive so
her fetus would have a chance to be born and live. Therefore,
by performing the caesarean section, the hospital would be
fulfilling her wishes. The husband’s objection should not be
considered when Ms. C’s wishes are loud and clear.

NO Ms. C’s husband did not give his consent to perform the
operation. Since Ms. C did not explicitly consent to such
operation, the operation should not take place.

NO The hospital should not risk its patients life for that of an
unborn child when explicit consent has not been given.

YES Ms. C is being kept alive only for the purpose of giving birth to
her unborn child. Therefore, the operation should take place
even at the price of risking Ms. C’s life.

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Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the court of the country. The court concluded
that in tragic circumstances of this kind, with the mother so severely
brain damaged and the life of an unborn child at stake, it is perhaps
natural to directly consider the interests of that unborn child, assum-
ing that those interests must be a vital factor in the decision. However,
up to the moment of birth, a fetus does not have any individual legal
interests that should be taken into account by a court considering an
application to perform a caesarean section on the expected mother. In
short, a court does not have jurisdiction to issue a declaratory judg-
ment solely to protect the interests of the fetus.

The court must first consider the will of the mother. If the mother is in-
capable of expressing any such will, then, and only then, the mother’s
best interests should be considered.

In the present case, it was not in any way disputed that Ms. C, having
sustained severe cerebral damage and being in a deep coma, was in-
capable in any way of either giving or withholding her consent to the
caesarean section. In light of the circumstances of the case, it was nec-
essary to consider the best interests of Ms. C. Those best interests were
not limited simply to what was necessary to keep her clinically alive,
but rather encompassed a broader range of factors, especially what she
herself would have wished.

Under these circumstances, it is in the best interests of the patient to

undergo an operation to try and ensure the birth of a healthy child.
Apart from all other constraints, not to take any risks which might
endanger the life of the child, one should take extra care to regard the
fetus without life in the womb of the mother.

The declaration was granted, but not because the mother and the
fetus had different interests. Ms. C and her fetus could no longer be
considered as one entity because the fetus was a unique organism,
having the potential for a full and independent life. The available

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evidence indicated that the mother’s wish, if she had been able to
express it, would have been to deliver a healthy child. Under all of the
circumstances, delivery clearly was in her best interest.

Discussion Assumed consent of an unconscious patient

Discussion
Every human being has the right that his will shall be respected, as
part of his dignity. One question we ask ourselves is; who is consid-
ered a human being? There are several forms of human life and some
perceptions (Catholic, for example) argue that all forms of human life
are considered human beings and thus, are entitled to protection.
Other views argue that only a ‘born man’ is considered a human be-
ing. Another question addresses the obligation towards people who
are dependant on artificial life support with no chance of recovery,
and the obligation towards fetuses, especially where one right might
clash with the others.

The first step, in situations where there is more than one person in-
volved, is to determine who the patient is. One might say that the fetus
has no rights and we should not consider its interests. Another might
say that, although the fetus does not have legitimate rights as a human
being, we should still consider its best interest, as long as we don’t
harm the mother. However, if the mother is a patient, we have to act
according to her best interest as she sees it.

Where there’s a conflict between the interest of the mother and the
fetus, a balance must be found between the two. When considering
such a balance, we must take into account the interests of each of the
patients from the point of view of that particular patient.

The importance of upholding a person’s honor; whether a mother or

fetus, stresses the centrality of the autonomy which we as a society
feel towards her ambitions, desires and the respect which we give her
when materializing this wish. Part of upholding a person’s honor is the
execution of his wishes with regard to his medical treatment, even if in
other cases, with other patients, the physicians may have used differ-
ent procedures. For example, prolonging life for many months only in
order to serve as an incubator for the birth of a child, is not necessarily

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respecting the patient. However, if this is her wish, and the purpose for
prolonging the patient’s life is to create life, then the medical staff is
obligated to carry out that person’s wishes.

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Case study 23

Irreversible procedures performed on

mentally disabled patients without consent

F is a 36-year-old woman suffering from a serious mental disability.

She has been hospitalized, with the approval of her mother, as an in-
patient since she was 14 years old.

F’s mental disability is marked by arrested or incomplete mental de-

velopment. She has the verbal capacity of a 2-year-old child and the
general mental capacity of a 4- or 5-year-old. She is unable to express
her views verbally, but is able to indicate what she likes or dislikes.
She experiences emotions such as pleasure, sadness, and fear, but is
prone to express them differently than other people. She is liable to
become aggressive. Her mother is her only relative and visits her regu-
larly. There is a strong bond of affection between them.

F has made significant progress due to treatment administered during

her hospital stay. She has become less aggressive and is allowed con-
siderable freedom of movement around the hospital grounds, which
are large. There are, however, no prospects for any improvement in her
mental capacity.

F has entered into a sexual relationship with a male patient, P, whom

she meets around twice a month. The relationship is entirely voluntary
on F’s part, and she probably derives pleasure from it. There is no rea-
son to believe that F does not have the ordinary fertility of a woman of
her age.

Medical evidence indicates that it would be psychiatrically disastrous

for her to become pregnant. All ordinary methods of contraception
were found to be ineffective in her case, either because she would be
unable to use them effectively or because they posed a risk to her phys-
ical health.

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The medical staff in charge of F, with the approval of her mother, de-
cided that the best course was for her to be sterilized by ligation of her
fallopian tubes.

Should a sterilization operation be allowed in the case of an adult

woman of childbearing age who is mentally unable to give or refuse her
consent to the procedure?

Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES Even though F is incapable of consenting to the operation,

the evidence shows that pregnancy might cause harm to her
mental health. The operation will be performed to prevent F’s
physical and/or mental health from deteriorating. Therefore,
sterilization is in her best interest; it is unavoidable and
consequently it is legitimate.

NO Such an operation can take place only if performed as curative

or prophylactic treatment. In F’s case, the proposed sterilization
is not to treat diseased organs. Rather, this procedure is to
be performed on a woman with healthy reproductive organs
in order to prevent pregnancy. Under such circumstances,
sterilization cannot be considered either curative or
prophylactic. Therefore, it is not in F’s best interests to undergo
this surgery. Furthermore, as a society, we must search for a way
to protect those who cannot protect themselves from the insult
of unnecessary sterilization, as in this case.

NO Sterilization has a number of unique characteristics. First,

the operation is in most cases irreversible. Second, due to the
operation’s general irreversibility, the almost certain result will be
to deprive the woman one of her fundamental rights as a woman,
namely the right to bear children. These unique characteristics
demand that the hospital seek some other solution.

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Notes about the case study

Court
Court decision
decision
This case came before the Court of the country. Because of F’s mental
disability, she does not have the capacity to give her consent to the op-
eration. Her mother, acting as her best friend, sought a declaration ask-
ing the court to rule that the absence of F’s consent would not make
her sterilization an unlawful act.

It was declared that the proposed sterilization operation to be per-

formed on F was in her best interests under the existing circumstanc-
es, and thus could lawfully be performed on her despite her inability
to consent to it.

Discussion
Discussion Irreversible procedures performed on mentally
disabled patients without consent
A very common mistake regarding mentally disabled patients is that
we do not respect their dignity because we believe they do not have
the ability to choose. The truth is that dignity refers to what one is
and not what one does. However, sometimes the person chooses to do
things that might harm him and society, and at this point, one should
consider where and when, if at all, he should be stopped.

Every medical treatment or study conducted on human beings must,

first and foremost, consider the best interests of the subjects and
where they are particularly vulnerable, these interests should be pro-
tected, as stated in Article 8 of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics
and Human Rights:

In applying and advancing scientific knowledge, medical

practice and associated technologies, human vulnerability
should be taken into account. Individuals and groups of special
vulnerability should be protected and the personal integrity of
such individuals respected.

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It is important to note that ‘best interests’ are not necessarily the same
for all patients; they are specific to the patient and circumstances.
Therefore, a medical procedure can be considered in the best interest
for one patient, but as a very harmful action to another. The medical
staff is obligated to consider the best interest of the specific patient
under the certain circumstances.

When dealing with people whose ability to make choices is doubt-

ful, we should take extra precautions to make sure that we are not
ignoring someone’s right, just because we believe he is ‘incapable
of choice (in many countries women did not have a right to vote
because of this reason).’

In addition, every medical intervention requires the patient’s consent,

whether for healing or preventative purposes. This informed consent
expresses society’s respect for the individual, the patient, in terms of
how treatment, if any, will be provided.

There are cases where patients are unable to grant informed consent.
In such cases, the action taken toward ensuring the patient’s best inter-
est becomes even more important and must be handled with increased
sensitivity. One should act in accordance with the maximum benefit
of such a person in mind, and try, as far as possible, to involve him in
the decisions concerning his well being, as detailed in Article 7a of the
Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights:

Authorization for research and medical practice should be

obtained in accordance with the best interest of the person
concerned and in accordance with domestic law. However,
the person concerned should be involved to the greatest extent
possible in the decision-making process of consent, as well as that
of withdrawing consent.

Treating a patient who is unable to grant informed consent requires,

on the one hand, particular sensitivity on the part of the medical staff
and expresses, on the other hand, our obligation, as a society, to act
for that person, for the benefit of his interests whilst safeguarding his
autonomy and ability to make an informed decision in accordance with
his personal capabilities.

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Case study 24

Respecting patients’ decisions

Mrs. M came to the Hospital complaining of some stomach disorder.

She was admitted to the hospital, and after some weeks of treatment,
the house physician, Dr. B, discovered a lump which proved to be a
fibroid tumor. He consulted the visiting surgeon, Dr. S, who advised an
operation.

The physicians explained to Mrs. M that the character of the lump could
not be determined without examining her. To this end, she needed to
be anesthetized by the administration of ether. She consented to such
an examination, but according to her claim, she told Dr. B that there
must not be an operation.

She was taken at night from the medical to the surgical ward and pre-
pared for surgery by a nurse. She repeated her wish not to be operated
on. In the morning, she was anesthetized by the administration of ether,
and while she was unconscious, a tumor was surgically removed.

Should the physicians have performed the surgery despite Mrs. M’s
explicit objection?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES Mrs. M was already under anesthesia and the tumor had to be
removed, if not at that time, then in the future.

NO Not only did Mrs. M not consent to the operation, which should
have been a sufficient cause not to perform the operation, but

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she was also very clear in expressing her objection to undergoing

surgery. The physicians should have respected her decision.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Court of Appeals of the country. The court
concluded that every competent adult human being of sound mind has
the right to determine what shall be done with his own body and that a
surgeon who performs an operation without his patient’s consent com-
mits an assault, for which he is liable for damages. The exception is in
cases of emergency where the patient is unconscious and where it is
necessary to operate without being able to obtain patient’s consent.

Discussion
Discussion Respecting patients’ decisions
An indispensible aspect of honoring the rights of a person undergoing
medical treatment is the requirement for their freely granted consent
to the suggested course of therapy. The need for this agreement, known
as informed consent, is established in Article 6(1) of the Universal Dec-
laration on Bioethics and Human Rights.

The doctrine of informed consent is based on the recognition of each

person’s autonomy in deciding what shall be done to his own body.
The understanding that every person has an individual personality
leads to the conclusion that any physical injury or intervention re-
quires his consent, and must be performed with respect to his inde-
pendent existence.

However, this perception, which is quite common today, was not al-
ways under complete consensus. The other, more paternalistic, per-
ception claims that the doctor knows what is best for the patient and
that the patient is not always capable to consider the consequences of
the treatment. Moreover, in many cases, the patient is unable to fully

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understand all of the information and so, accepting his opinion may
be harmful. In such cases, when a decision detracts from one’s dignity,
the physician should be the one who takes the decision for him.

One possible response to this opinion is that the individual, as an

entire human entity, reaches medical decisions not just on the basis
of his medical condition, but also on the basis of his religious beliefs,
worldview, and personal desires. These wishes are unknown to the
doctor, and only the patient himself can give them proper weight as
he reaches a decision. It is not ethical to perform a medical procedure
on a person who has not yet reached a weighted decision based on the
available options and who has not yet granted willing consent to the
suggested treatment.

We should note also that the patient has the right to refuse treatment.
Such refusal is part of his autonomy, and the medical staff members, by
not treating him, are expressing their respect for his dignity.

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Case study 25

Equality in providing health services

Mr. S is a 41-year-old unemployed male. He is diabetic and suffers from

ischaemic heart disease and cerebro-vascular disease, leading to his
stroke in 1996.

In 1996, his kidneys failed as well. His condition is irreversible, and he

is now in the final stages of chronic renal failure. His life could be pro-
longed by regular renal dialysis treatment. He has sought such treat-
ment from the renal unit of the public hospital; however they can only
provide dialysis treatment to a limited number of patients.

Because of the shortage of resources, the hospital follows a set pol-

icy regarding the use of its dialysis resources. Only patients suffer-
ing from acute renal failure that can be treated and remedied by
renal dialysis are given automatic access to renal dialysis at the hos-
pital. Those patients who, like Mr. S, suffer from irreversible chron-
ic renal failure are not automatically admitted to the renal dialysis
program. Access to dialysis treatments for patients like Mr. S is giv-
en only to those eligible for a kidney transplant. Mr. S suffers from
ischaemic heart disease and cerebro-vascular disease, and is there-
fore not eligible for a kidney transplant. Therefore, the hospital has
been unable to provide Mr. S with the treatment he has requested.

Mr. S has managed to receive dialysis treatment from private hospitals

and doctors, but his finances have been depleted and he claims he is
no longer able to afford such treatments.

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Should the state provide the desired treatment to a person such as Mr. S
who lacks the means to afford such treatment?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES It is the state’s obligation to provide appropriate medical

treatment for those who cannot afford the treatment on their
own. By not providing the treatment, the state discriminates
against those who cannot pay for medical treatment, in effect,
condemning them to death.

NO Because the state has limited resources, it cannot provide all

desired medical treatments to everyone. A dialysis program is
in effect, with specified criteria determining who is eligible for
the treatment. It is unfortunate that Mr. S is not eligible for
this program.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Constitutional Court of the country. Mr.
S based his claim on a Section of the Constitution, which states
that ‘No one may be refused emergency medical treatment’ and another
Section, which stipulates ‘Everyone has the right to life.’ The court
dismissed Mr. S’s claims.

One can only have sympathy for Mr. S and his family, who face the cru-
el dilemma of having to impoverish themselves in order to secure the
treatment that Mr. S needs in order to prolong his life. The hard and
unpalatable fact is that if Mr. S was a wealthy man, he would be able to
procure such treatment from private sources. But he is not wealthy, and
therefore must appeal to the state to provide him with the treatment.
The state’s resources, however, are limited, and Mr. S does not meet the

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eligibility criteria for admission to the renal dialysis program. Unfortu-

nately, this is true not only for Mr. S, but also for many others who need
access to renal dialysis units or to other healthcare services.

Discussion
Discussion Equality in providing health services
The question of equality in providing health services is one of the most
difficult medical issues. There is considerable literature on the topic
of inequality in health matters. The UNESCO Universal Declaration
on Bioethics and Human Rights addresses this issue as an obligation of
countries, organizations, and institutions, to act equally, as determined
in Article 10 of the Declaration:

The fundamental equality of all human beings in dignity and

rights is to be respected so that they are treated justly and equitably.

Another issue we should address is the issue of distributive justice, by

which society should distribute the rights and the resources among all
people who belong to the society. Some questions arise from that prin-
ciple. For example, what are the resources that are distributable? One
theory distinguishes between rights such as: freedom, political right,
etc., that should be distributed equally and welfare such as: health,
shelter, money, etc, that cannot be distributed freely to all people.
Therefore society should concentrate on the distribution of rights and
not welfare.

According to another perception, society should distribute all resourc-

es in a utilitarian manner. In that case, we can defer treatment from one
person and give it to another who is in the same condition, because
it is more useful for the latter. This system is not considered as being
equal for everyone.

Equality is a basic principle in healthcare systems operating in dem-

ocratic countries. Treating people equally respects their dignity and
honor. However, lack of resources is a problem which society cannot
ignore, and we should pay attention to whether discrimination in with-
holding treatment derives from disrespecting one’s dignity or rather
from a lack of resources.

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Upholding a person’s dignity also means treating him politely, pa-

tiently, considerately, and without humiliation. Therefore, blocking the
right to medical treatment for some of the patients in effect harms and
humiliates them, and thus is unethical.

One more note we should consider is that selectively preventing treat-

ment from patients could be considered as discrimination, actively
contradicting Article 11 of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and
Human Rights:

No individual or group should be discriminated against or

stigmatized on any grounds, in violation of human dignity,
human rights and fundamental freedoms.

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Case study 26

State’s obligation to provide emergency

medical care

Mr. HS fell off a train at about 7:45 p.m. on July 8. As a result, he suffered
serious head injuries and brain hemorrhage. He was taken to the local
Primary Health Centre. Since necessary facilities for treatment were not
available at the Primary Health Centre, the medical officer in charge of
the Centre referred him to the nearest hospital for better treatment.

HS was taken to the hospital at about 11:45 p.m. on July 8. The emer-
gency medical officer in said hospital, after examining him and taking
two X-rays of his skull, recommended immediate admission for further
treatment. Nevertheless, HS could not be admitted to the hospital, as
no vacant bed was available in the surgical emergency ward and the
regular surgery ward was also full.

He was thereafter taken to another hospital at about 12:20 a.m. on July

9, but he was not admitted there, on the grounds that no vacant bed
was available. He was then taken to another hospital at about 1:00 a.m.
on July 9. He was not admitted to that hospital on the grounds that
the hospital has no ENT emergency or neuro-emergency department.
At about 2:00 a.m. on July 9, he was taken to another hospital, but was
also was not admitted there because no bed was available. At about
8:00 a.m. on July 9, he was taken to an Institute of Neurology. Upon
examining the CT scan, performed at a private hospital after payment,
the doctors discovered a hemorrhage in the frontal region of the head
and determined this was an emergency case that could not be handled
at said Institute. At about 10:00 a.m. on July 9, the patient was taken to
yet another hospital, but was also not admitted there on the grounds
that the hospital has no neurosurgical facilities.

Ultimately, he was admitted to a private hospital, where he was treated

as an inpatient from July 9 through July 22.

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Was it correct for the abovementioned hospitals to refuse to provide

medical treatment to HS and to transfer him to another hospital?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES Most of the aforementioned hospitals administered first aid

to HS, but could not provide him appropriate treatment
due to their lack of facilities and medical services to handle
complicated situations such as in this case. It was better to
transfer HS to an institute that could handle such conditions.

NO Depriving a person of medical treatment in an emergency case

is actually depriving that person of his right to live and his right
to live with dignity.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Supreme Court of the country, during which
the state government appointed an enquiry committee to investigate
this chain of events. The committee has suggested remedial measures
to rule out recurrence of such incidents in the future and to ensure im-
mediate medical attention and treatment to patients in real need.

The court reasoned that the constitution envisages the establishment

of a welfare state at the federal level as well as at the state level. In a
welfare state, the primary duty of the government is to secure the wel-
fare of the people. Providing adequate medical facilities for the people
is an essential part of the obligations undertaken by the government in
a welfare state.

The government fulfills this obligation by running hospitals and

health centers which provide medical care to the person in need of

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those facilities. The constitution imposes an obligation on the state to

safeguard the right to life of every person. Preservation of human life
is thus of paramount importance. The government hospitals run by
the state and the medical officers employed therein are duty bound
to extend medical assistance for preserving human life. Failure on the
part of a government hospital to provide timely medical treatment to
a person in need of such treatment results in violation of his right to
life, guaranteed under the constitution. In the present case, HS’s said
right, guaranteed under the constitution, was breached when he was
denied treatment at various government hospitals, even though his
condition was very serious at that time and he was in need of immedi-
ate medical attention.

Indeed it is true that financial resources are needed for providing these
facilities. But at the same time, it cannot be ignored that it is the con-
stitutional obligation of the State to provide adequate medical services
to the people. Whatever is necessary for this purpose has to be done. In
the context of the constitutional obligation to provide free legal aid to a
poor person, this Court has held that the state cannot avoid its consti-
tutional obligation in that regard on account of financial constraints.

Discussion
Discussion A state’s obligation to provide emergency medical care
A State, which strives to give its citizens quality health services and
wishes to advance healthcare within its region, whilst being obligated
to accepted ethical principles, should act to uphold and strengthen the
dignity of sick people.

However, the State does not always have the ability to provide quality
health services to all, due to lack of resources. The gap between the
moral right of an individual member of the society to receive health-
care services (as part of his dignity and as much as this right exists) and
society’s ability to provide it, is a problem that many countries have to
deal with.

A suitable solution would be to distinguish between moral and le-

gal-rights and then to determine their economic consequences. One
position is that the right to healthcare is not greater than the right

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to property, and therefore, the state cannot tax rich people in order
to provide health services to all. Another position is that the right
to healthcare is a basic right that enables one to acquire many other
rights and therefore, it is ethical to take money from people who have
it and provide quality health services to all.

Another question relates to situations in which the State provides lim-

ited quality of health services, while private organizations provide bet-
ter health services. In some countries, all residents are entitled to the
same quality of health services and even if one has money, one cannot
purchase better healthcare. Other countries provide healthcare ser-
vices to some extent, but the individual is free to seek better services
elsewhere. Another attitude is that the individuals must buy their own
level of health services according to their ability, and the State provides
health services only to poor people.

However, the obligation of a State and health institutions to provide

suitable treatment, is in addition to the patient’s right to continue re-
ceiving appropriate treatment. As such, when there are units such as
intensive care that are filled to their maximal capacity and it is impos-
sible to add beds without harming the current patients, the ethical
obligation to the ‘new’ patient clashes with the obligation to provide
appropriate treatment to existing patients. The balance between these
two rights creates a difficult dilemma.

Beyond all this, efforts should be made to increase resources to enable

appropriate medical treatment for all.

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Case study 27

Claim of ‘wrongful life’

Prior to her marriage, A consulted a genetic counselor. She wanted

to know whether her future descendants were at risk of developing a
particular hereditary syndrome known as Hunter’s disease, which ran
in her family. If she were to discover that her descendents were at risk,
she was determined not to give birth to boys, as the disease primarily
affects males.

Due to negligence in carrying out the tests or in interpreting the results,

the genetic counselor determined that there was no risk of A’s descen-
dants being afflicted with the disease. Based on the consultant’s opinion,
A became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy with Hunter’s disease.
The disease severely damaged his physical and mental development.

It should be noted that there were only two possibilities for A’s son: to be
born with this disease or not to be born at all. There was no other medi-
cal option to enable him to be born without this hereditary disease.

Should a situation in which not existing at all (as distinguished from

death) will be regarded as better than living?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES There may be cases, although rare, in which it can be

determined that it would be better for someone not to be born
than to live with severe disabilities.

NO Living with defects can never be compared to not having a

life at all. Every person has the right to live, not the right not

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to live. There can never be a situation in which not existing is

preferable to living with defects.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Supreme Court of the country who consid-
ered, inter alia, the question of whether it can be determined that not
existing is preferable to living with defects.

One of the justices’ opinion stated that the problem in this case re-
volves around the following assumption: acknowledging the child’s
right requires comparing the child’s condition after the consultant’s
negligence and his condition if the consultant had not been negligent
at all, i.e. before his birth, by concluding that not existing is better than
living with a defect. Such a comparison cannot be made, for it arouses
philosophical and moral issues that can never be solved.

The court cannot compare between life and non-life. Even if the minor
were to claim that he preferred non-life over life with defects, still the
court cannot heed this claim for the child’s right is the right to life, not
the right to non-life. Therefore, there is no need to compare the value
of not existing at all to the value of living with a defect.

The damage caused by the genetic consultant is the damage of living

with a defect. The damage does not refer to causing or preventing life.
Therefore, the phrase ‘wrongful life’ is inappropriate and deceptive.
The claim is not against life, and the alternative is not non-life. The
claim is against life with defects, and the only alternative is life without
defects. The genetic consultant was negligent in causing life with de-
fects and is liable for this damage.

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Discussion
Discussion Claim of ‘wrongful life’

Every person has the right to live with dignity. This right is fundamen-
tal and inherent in each human being, as established in Article 3(1) of
the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights:

Human dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms are to

be fully respected.

There are situations in which babies are born with genetic deformities
unrelated to medical procedures. Some will describe this as an act of
God, others will call it fate, but it is clear that the defect was not caused
by an act or omission by the medical staff or anyone else. However,
if this disability was not detected by the physician during pregnancy,
when he should have found it, the child may sue him.

In these cases, the disability can be so severe that the afflicted person
claims that it would have been preferable not to exist, rather than to
live with their deformity.

This claim raises complicated philosophical and legal dilemmas. Such

claims by patients are now accepted in cases of extreme dysfunction
and suffering. We can understand this as being analogous to the situ-
ation in which patients decide to discontinue invasive treatment and
end their life with dignity. Similarly, we must honor someone who
claims they would rather not have been born than to have been born
with their defect. On the other hand, accepting such claims raises an
ambiguous issue, since this human being, the child, would be unable
to sue the medical staff if he was not born. The only possibility for him
to sue was the mere fact that he was born. Hence, if he was not born, as
he claims, he would not be able to sue since he would not have been a
‘human being.’ By suing, he cuts the branch he sits on, and therefore,
we cannot accept such a claim.

Another issue concerns the sanctity of life. Does a human being have
the ability to choose to be born? One who argues that a human being
has no right to choose whether or not to be born, either because it is
God’s will or because he has no wish until he is physically born, cannot

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accept the concept of ‘wrongful life.’ One who argues that the decision
to be born or not is a right of every human being, will accept such a
claim, since it is an inherent part of his autonomy to decide whether to
come to this world or not.

One of the most serious ethical questions in these cases is the need to
evaluate the harm to the child. On one hand, the child suffers from a
disability. On the other hand, the child didn’t have the choice of being
born without the disability or not being born at all. That is why it is very
complicated to evaluate the damage, since we cannot compare him to a
healthy child, but must rather compare him to a ‘no child’ entity.

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Case study 28

Obligatory vaccination

Mr. B and his wife have two young children, L, a 10-year-old, and K,
a 3-year-old. Mr. B and his wife are vigorously opposed to vaccinating
their children and to vaccination in general, either as a private or a
public health measure.

In Mr. B’s view, not only is vaccination harmful, but it is also a useless
procedure with perhaps disastrous side effects. He asserts that he and
his wife have a fundamental right to decide whether or not to vaccinate
their children. It follows that he rejects the proposition that vaccination
is a measure that is reasonably necessary to protect the public’s health.

L and K were refused entry to a child care center run by the Council
on the grounds that they were not medically immunized.

From at least 1976, the Council has had a policy that any child seeking
to attend a child care center controlled by the Council must be medi-
cally immunized before acceptance. Proof of immunization is required
on enrollment and after each immunization update. The standard im-
munizations required are stated as being ‘per current Health Authority
recommendations.’

Mr. B and his wife are unyielding in their refusal to vaccinate their
children.

Is the Council entitled to discriminate against L and K by not allowing

them to enter to the child care center because they are not vaccinated?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

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YES The fact that the children are not vaccinated puts the other
children at the child care center at risk. For the benefit of the
other children, the children of Mr. and Mrs. B must be barred
from attending the child care center.

NO Discriminating against the children of Mr. and Mrs. B by barring

them from the child care center is unlawful. Every person has a
right to determine whether or not to be vaccinated.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Com-
mission of the country. The court concluded that the decision of the
Council to exclude the children from the child care center is one that
is reasonably necessary to protect public health.

The incidence of serious infectious disease in a community is a mat-

ter relevant to public health. Experience has shown that an individ-
ual or a group of persons may fall victim to some ailment which, by
its very nature, is considered to be infectious. One person’s illness
may be the source of infection in another. The seriousness of the ill-
ness and the potency of the infection process may be such as to af-
fect the health and well being of the wider community. On the other
hand, the level of morbidity in the case of a less serious infectious
illness may be considered not to raise public health issues because
it is within the capacity of the individual to take appropriate reme-
dial or preventative action.

It is for these reasons that vaccination has been proposed as a public

health measure, and the advocates of vaccination, through publicity
and education programs, are intent on raising the so-called ‘herd im-
munity’ level, of a community in relation to various potential infections.
The required level of ‘herd immunity’ would be defined by experts in
the field of infectious diseases and public health as the percentage of

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the target population that must be vaccinated in order to develop im-

munity, and thus block the transmission of the target disease.

An integral feature of the Council’s case is that the decision to ex-

clude Mr. B’s children, and any other unvaccinated children who are
included in the extended definition of ‘disability’ in the act, was indeed
a discriminatory decision. Yet, it was a decision reasonably necessary to
protect public health. In short, the Council’s insistence that the chil-
dren not be admitted to the child care center unless vaccinated, whilst
discriminatory, is reasonably necessary to protect public health.

In the process of balancing the risks, it is unquestionably desirable

that all children, except those who are sick or who have pre-existing
neurological or genetic conditions, be routinely immunized. The resul-
tant benefits will be shared not only by the individual person, but also
the public, through increased herd immunity.

Discussion Obligatory vaccination

Discussion

One of the arguments addressed by human right theorists is that of

‘cultural imperialism,’ i.e. people can live their lives according to their
beliefs, and society should respect them and avoid forcing them to be-
lieve or do what they don’t want to.

However, although those human rights were conceived with the indi-
vidual in mind, there was a strong trend towards collective rights, and
the second and third generations of rights issues, such as the right to
education, the right to peace, the right to a healthy environment, etc.

That being said, we understand that individuals have the right to re-
fuse vaccinations, and that society has the right to vaccinate its citizens
in order to promote health. Usually, as stated in Article 3(2) of the Uni-
versal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights:

The interests and welfare of the individual should have priority

over the sole interest of science or society.

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However, there could be circumstances in which individual interests

do not take priority over public interests.

Vaccination, considered the most effective treatment for some diseases

today, is a privilege, not an obligation. Therefore, people who do not
desire vaccination will usually not receive it but they must remember
that there may be consequences to non-treatment, and be willing to
bear them.

Governments are responsible for public health, as established in Ar-

ticle 14(1) of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights:

The promotion of health and social development for their people

is a central purpose of governments that all sectors of society share.

Vaccination of the population reduces rates of illness and therefore

it is expected that public interest dictate policies that encourage vac-
cination. Preserving public welfare and reducing diseases are impor-
tant values, and when they conflict with the individual’s right to refuse
treatment, a balance must be struck between the rights of the indi-
vidual and the public.

Each situation should be evaluated on its own merits and each society,
country, and government must define a balanced policy based on its
values, provided it gives real weight to the rights of the individuals.

The considerations that we should think about, when balancing such

values could be:

1 The seriousness of the disease

2 The imminence of the threat

3 The number of people that are not vaccinated

4 The potency of the infection

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Case study 29

Protecting a prisoner’s dignity

B is a prisoner serving a 20-year sentence handed down in 1996. The

jury convicted B of the offense of conspiring to commit an act of ter-
rorism, and he is considered a high-risk prisoner.

In August 2006, B was referred for medical treatment after being diag-
nosed with testicular cancer. B was handcuffed on the way to and from
the hospital for treatments.

On several occasions, prison officers were present at B’s medical con-

sultations and treatment, despite the sensitive nature of his condition.

B had an operation to remove one of his testicles. He was handcuffed

when he went into surgery, and still handcuffed when he awoke from
the anesthetic. He was also handcuffed on his way back to prison.

Moreover, B has allegedly been required to supply samples, includ-

ing semen samples, while in the presence of prison officers. On other
occasions, he allegedly had to provide semen samples with one hand
handcuffed.

B refused treatments that he felt were humiliating.

B claims that during his various medical consultations and treatments,

he felt humiliated and demeaned and suffered from pain and discom-
fort. His privacy was invaded at a time he was feeling vulnerable.

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In situations in which a patient is handcuffed or is unable to obtain

privacy during medical treatments, should the physician interfere?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES One of the basic principles of medical ethics is the physician’s

obligation to his patients. The patient’s dignity and right to
privacy during consultations or medical treatment should be
respected at all times. Whenever these rights are denied, the
physician should pursue appropriate measures to assure them.

YES Withholding B’s rights to privacy during medical treatment

or consultations with his doctor destroys the patient-doctor
relationship. The patient loses his confidence in his physician,
possibly harming the quality of the treatment. For example, B’s
refusal of treatments demonstrates such possible harm.

NO B is a high-risk prisoner and the physicians should not interfere

with the security arrangements. All they are obligated to do is
their utmost as physicians so that B receives the appropriate
treatment under the circumstances.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Court of the country. B, the claimant, chal-
lenged the decision regarding security measures that were taken while
he received medical treatment.

No claim was made against the physicians in this case. The claimant
argued for breaches of Articles 3 and 8 of the Convention on Human
Rights. The court stated that B failed to show that the decisions taken
were wrong, perverse, or irrational; or that there had been a breach of

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the claimant’s Article 3 or 8. The Judge also noted that there was no
complaint made by the medical staff regarding this matter. There was
no indication that any confidential information had been leaked, and,
given the factors which have already been set out at some length, any
interference was not disproportionate.

Discussion
Discussion Protecting a prisoner’s dignity
To what extent should we respect someone’s dignity? The basic claim
is that everyone is entitled to be respected just for being human. What
about people who do not respect the dignity of others though, such
as: terrorists who have murdered men, women, and children? One can
say that we should respect their dignity, since it is not about what you
do, but rather about what you are. Moreover, the fact that a person is a
prisoner does not negate his basic rights and he is entitled to them just
like any other person.

Others will say that since he failed to respect others, he is not entitled
to be respected, and that he has actually surrendered his dignity by
killing and failing to respect people’s rights to life. However, even if we
accept that approach, what would we do if he only planned to perform
an act of terror, but did not execute it? On the one hand, he did not
demonstrate disrespect for people’s lives and dignity, but on the other
hand, he planned to carry out a terrible attack, and if he hadn’t been
caught, he would have succeeded.

Another question to be asked: if we decided to restrain his dignity,

how far should it be restrained? Should we act in a way that humiliates
him? Should we withhold medical treatment? Should we treat him
without pain-relief? Who can set the boundaries?

One thing we know is that prisoners comprise one of the weakest

groups, unable to stand up for their rights on all issues of medical
treatment. The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights
deals with vulnerability, however the Articles relating to vulnerability
(Preface, 8, 24) address issues of human vulnerability, such as people
who are uneducated, handicapped, etc.

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According to the approach that high-risk prisoners do not deserve the

same extent of dignity as every other human being, reducing their right
to privacy is justified. According to the other point of view, because he
has the same extent of dignity and can be classified as vulnerable, the
medical system must pay even more attention to its contacts with him
and other prisoners and to the treatment provided to them.

Another issue we should address is the safety of others. A person’s

right, as with most of our privileges, is not decisive and can be super-
seded by other interests, such as: keeping public peace or safety. When
a prisoner is concerned, one must examine exactly how dangerous it is
to leave him alone during his medical procedure when he is under an-
esthesia and, when possible, to guard him from afar. For example, it is
more appropriate to examine a prisoner without guards, in a window-
less room with one exit guarded from the outside, than it is to do so
inside a clinic or a larger ventilated room, with an accompanying guard
who is present during the entire examination.

Physicians may find themselves treating patients under difficult cir-

cumstances, and they face a challenge of providing the best treatment
they can under these circumstances.

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Case study 30

Unauthorised sperm extraction

for spousal infertilization

MAW and GAW were married on 29-July-1993.

They decided not to have children until they got on their feet finan-
cially. From time to time, they had discussed the possibility of having
children, but decided not to do so, at least not for some time.

On 20 April 2000, GAW was involved in a motor vehicle accident. While

crossing the road, he was hit by a heavy vehicle, fitted with a bull bar
in front. As a result, he suffered brain damage, went into a coma, and
was in imminent danger of dying. His life expectancy was very short,
approximately 48 hours.

MAW pleaded to obtain an interim order to extract sperm from GAW.

Her intent was to reserve the option for future conception using her
husband’s sperm. She would not make any use of her husband’s sperm
until she felt capable of making an informed decision. She felt that
conceiving a child using her husband’s semen was the only way to
‘have part of him.’ She wished to maintain that option because at the
present time it was what she wanted and she saw it as a way of keeping
her husband with her, despite his death.

GAW had given no actual consent for removing, storing, or using his
semen.

The Director of Reproductive Medicine at the hospital explained that

GAW’s sperm must be collected while he was still alive, since once the
patient died, the sperm would no longer be viable.

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Should the hospital act according to MAW’s wishes and extract GAW’s
sperm while he is in a coma, without his explicit consent?
Here are a few, but not all, possible answers. Discuss them, as well as other
possible answers. Identify ethical issues and decide which answer applies to
you most, giving your reasons.

YES Even if GAW did not express his explicit consent for such a
procedure, MAW can use her husband’s sperm. It is inherent to
their status as a married couple to conceive and have children.

NO Without GAW’s explicit consent, this procedure, which involves

surgical intervention, cannot take place.

Notes about the case study

Court decision
This case came before the Supreme Court of the country. The court
concluded that it is not appropriate to infer any consent on the part of
the patient to the taking, preserving, and use of his semen to impreg-
nate his wife, and more particularly, to do so after his death.

The court’s decision made a reference to the potential child. The court
stated that under these circumstances, such a child’s best interests would
not be served by being brought into existence in the manner, at the time,
and in the circumstances contemplated by MAW. Such a child would never
have the prospect of knowing his or her father. Such a child would come
to recognize that he was not sought to be procreated during the life of the
father. Such a child would not have rights of succession under state law or
rights under the Compensation to Relatives Act, arising out of the circum-
stances giving rise to the death of his or her father. Furthermore, should
the circumstances of the child’s conception come to be known, people in
the community might tend to regard the child as different, not a happy
situation, especially for a child. These considerations mitigate the decision
against approving the possibility of conceiving a child in the present case.

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Discussion
Discussion Unauthorised sperm extraction for spousal infertilization
When a woman wants to use her late husband’s sperm for spousal fer-
tilization, there are several ‘human beings’ involved:

1 The woman herself: We must ask ourselves if it is in the best interest

of that woman to initiate a process of pregnancy that will end
with an orphan baby, raising him through difficulties of no
support of a spouse. One could say that it might be dreadful
for this woman, while others would say that she has the right to
decide how to live her life and how to greave over her husband.

2 The late husband: There are two major questions: first, should we
consider this person as a ‘human being’? Most authors in ethical
literature consider dead people as human beings. As such, they
have dignity and we have to consider their wishes. Another
approach argues that dead people are not forms of human
life and as such, they have no dignity. Therefore, we do not
have to consider their wishes and best interest, since they are
nonexistent. The other question is if we say that this late man
still has dignity, how do we know if extracting his sperm is in his
best interest? Does he want a baby if he cannot raise him? Does
he want a child with this particular woman?

3 The future baby: Is he a ‘human being’? Should we consider his best

interests? Article 1 of the United Nations Declaration on Human
Rights, 1948, states that: ‘All human beings are born free and equal in
dignity and rights…’ One can argue that since this future child is
not born yet, moreover, it is not even an embryo, it has no rights,
no dignity, and we cannot and should not consider its interests.
But even if we agree to recognize his dignity, it is impossible to
evaluate the benefits and disadvantages in his future life.

Another issue we have to consider is how to obtain informed consent?

Any form of medical intervention requires informed consent and every

effort should be made to ensure that the consent, if given, is explicit,
as expressed in Article 6(1) of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and
Human Rights:

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Any preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic medical intervention

is only to be carried out with the prior, free and informed consent
of the person concerned, based on adequate information. The
consent should, where appropriate, be express and may be
withdrawn by the person concerned at any time and for any
reason without disadvantage or prejudice.

The agreement expresses the patient’s wishes and demonstrates that

we are acting to intensify the patient’s honor, as an inseparable part
of the autonomy to which he is entitled. It is important to stress that
in carrying out the relevant wishes, the goal must be seen from the
patient’s viewpoint; this must be taken into account when executing a
medical intervention.

Nevertheless, it is not always possible to obtain the patient’s specific

or explicit consent. In such cases, we must try to ascertain what his
wishes would have been, through evidence based on his lifestyle, state-
ments which he made, and from people close to him who knew what
he would have wanted. Therefore, it would be ethical, in cases where
the patient is unable to express his informed consent, to learn from
outside sources as to what his wishes were and execute them in accor-
dance to what he would have wanted.

It is important to stress that in cases of ‘planned orphan-hood’ where

the intervention occurred after the death of the father, a distinction
must be made between the sperm extraction and insemination proce-
dure. On one hand, there is a narrow window of opportunity enabling
such extraction, in cases where it is possible to definitely assume that
the person would have wanted to have a child. On the other hand, the
decision is carried out during a period of intense pressure, when there
are strong feelings and it is impossible to reach level-headed decisions.
Therefore, only if we enable the extraction which is ensued by a debate
regarding insemination, consequences to the future child, etc., we will
later be able to carry out an in-depth debate about the technical option
of impregnation from the deceased’s semen.

As to the child’s interest, some would say that since the child is not born
yet, we cannot consider his benefits and harms. However, we should try
to think whether it is his best interest to ‘come to life’ without a father.

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Furthermore, one can argue that ‘coming to the world’ as an orphan is

harmful for the child, while others might think that being alive at all,
even if you live without a father, as many children around the world do,
can be perceived as a benefit and better than not being alive.

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 Reference list

Reference list of judicial cases

Case Case study title Judicial case reference Page

study
No.

1 Privacy John Doe, M.D v. Milton S. Hershey 1

Medical Center of the Pennsylvania Sate
University and the Harrisburg Hospital.
407 Pa. Super. 565; 595 A.2d 1290; 1991
Pa. Super. Lexis 2178; 56 Empl. Prac. Dec.
(CCH) P40, 904, United States of America.

2 Physician’s rights Frank Halkyard and Scott Yancey 6

Halkyard v. Dr. Thomas Mathew and
Grande Prairie General and Auxiliary
Hospital and Nursing Home District #14,
[1998] A.J. No. 986, Canada.

3 A patient’s right to 6219/03 Unidentified person v. The 9

personal medical Health Ministry, P’D NH(6), 145. Israel
information Supreme Court, Israel.

4 Objection to Catherine Suenram, Plaintiff, v. The 12

unapproved Society of the Valley Hospital, a non-
treatment profit Corporation of the State of New
Jersey, Defendant Superior Court of
New Jersey, Law Division 155 N.J. Super.
593; 383 A.2d 143; 1977 N.J. Super. Lexis
1238, United States of America.

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Case Case study title Judicial case reference Page

study
No.

5 The right to life Case involving professional criminal 16

with dignity abortion, abandonment by a guardian
resulting in death, abandonment of a
corpse, 1984(A)No.588, Japan.

6 Withdrawal of Arthur A. Gianelli, President and CEO of 19

medical care from Nassau Health Care Corporation, v. DH.
minors at the 2007 NY Slip Op 27075; 15 Misc. 3d 565;
terminal stage of life 834 N.Y.S.2d 623; 2007 N.Y. Misc. Lexis
459; 237 N.Y.L.J. 36, United States of
America.

7 Witholding life-saving Re J (A Minor) (Wardship: Medical 24

treatment Treatment) [1991] 2 W.L.R. 140, Australia.

8 End of life Airedale NHS Trust v Bland – [1993] 1 All 29

considerations ER 821, England.

9 Pain relief Gloria Coleman, Plaintiff, v. Nurse Ruth 34

Rahija, Defendant. NO. 4-91-CV-50260,
January 2, 1996, Decided and Gloria
Coleman, Appellee, v. Nurse Ruth Rahija,
Nurse at IMCC - Oakdale, Appellant,
114 F.3d 778; 1997 U.S. App. Lexis 13115,
United States of America.

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Case Case study title Judicial case reference Page

study
No.

10 Right of refusal Daniel Thor, Petitioner, v. The Superior 38

Court of Solano County, Respondent;
Howard Andrews, Real Party in Interest.
5 Cal. 4th 725; 855 P.2d 375; 21 Cal.
Rptr. 2d 357; 1993 Cal. Lexis 3430; 93
Cal. Daily Op. Service 5658; 93 Daily
Journal DAR 9579, California, United
States of America.

11 End of life Rodriguez v. British Columbia (Attorney 42

General) [1993] 3 S.C.R. 519; 1993 S.C.R.
Lexis 992, Canada.

12 Forced treatment of Mark Rivers et al., Appellants, v. Stephen 46

the mentally ill Katz, as Commissioner of the New York
State Office of Mental Health, et al.,
Respondents; In the Matter of Florence
Grassi, Appellant, v. Wendy Acrish, as
Executive Director of the Harlem Valley
Psychiatric Center, et al., Respondents.
[no number in original] Court of Appeals
of New York, 67 N.Y.2d 485; 495 N.E.2d
337; 504 N.Y.S.2d 74; 1986 N.Y. Lexis
18688, United States of America.

13 Bone marrow In re Y. (mental patient: bone marrow 50

donation by a donation) – [1997] Fam. 110, United
mentally ill Kingdom.
patient

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Case Case study title Judicial case reference Page

study
No.

14 Refusing life-saving Child Medical Treatment – decided 20th 54

treatment on behalf August 2004 – III. ÚS 459/03, Czech
of a minor Republic.

15 A minor refusing Children’s Aid Society of Metropolitan 58

life-saving treatment Toronto v. L.D.K. [1985] O.J. No. 803, 23
because of faith C.R.R. 337, 48 R.F.L. (2d) 164, Canada.

16 Refusing treatment Re E (A Minor) (Wardship: Medical 62

due to religious Treatment) – [1992] 2 FCR 219, England.
beliefs

17 Informed consent Stamos v. Davies, 33 C.C.L.T.1, 52 O.R. 66

(2d) 10, 21 D.L.R. (4th) 507 (1985),
Ontario Supreme Court, High Court of
Justice, Canada.

18 Information required 3509/01 Paruch Nuha v. El’Macsad El 71

for informed consent Hiriya Hospital, Jerusalem District Court,
Israel.

19 Information about Case number – 1998 (O) No.576, Japan. 75

alternative treatments

Acting without prior Marshall v. Curry [1933] N.S.J. No. 6, 60 80

20
consent due to an C.C.C. 136, Nova Scotia Supreme Court,
unforeseen medical Canada.
problem

128

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 Reference list

Case Case study title Judicial case reference Page

study
No.

21 Special importance Appellants: Samira Kohli v. Respondent: 84

of informed consent Dr. Prabha Manchanda and others,
for irreversible 2008ACJ747, India.
procedures

22 Assumed consent Hospital Authority v. C, [2003] 1 HKLRD 88

of an unconscious 507, Hong Kong.
patient

23 Irreversible F v. West Berkshire Health Authority and

93
procedures another (Mental Health Act Commission
performed on intervening) – [1989] 2 All ER 545,
mentally disabled England.
patients without
consent

24 Respecting patients’ Mary E. Schloendorff, Appellant, v.

97
decisions The Society of the New York Hospital,
Respondent, 211 N.Y. 125, United States
of America.

Soobramoney v. Minister of Health

25 Equality in providing 100
(Kwazulu-Natal) (CCT32/97) [1997] ZACC
health services
17; 1998 (1) SA 765 (CC); 1997 (12) BCLR
1696 (27 November 1997), South Africa.

26 A states obligation to Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoorsamity 104

provide emergency of ORS v. State of West Bengal & ANR
medical care [1996] INSC 659 (6 May 1996), India.

129

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BIOETHICS
CORE Casebook Series: Human Dignity and Human Rights
CURRICULUM

Case Case study title Judicial case reference Page

study
No.

27 Claim of ‘wrongful 518/82 Dr. Rina Zaytzov v. Shaul Katz, 108

life’ P’D M(2) 85. Israel Supreme Court,
Israel.

28 Obligatory Beattie (on behalf of Kiro and Lewis 112

vaccination Beattie) v. Maroochy Shire Council
[1996] HREOCA 40 (20 December 1996),
Australia.

29 Protecting a R (on the application of B) v. GSL UK Ltd 116

prisoner’s dignity [2007] EWHC 2227 (Admin), England.

30 Unauthorised sperm M.A.W. v. Western Sydney Area Health 120

extraction for spousal Service [2000] NSWSC 358, Australia.
infertilization

130

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 Reference list

131

Casebook HD & HR 12pt.indd 131 14/6/11 13:56:10

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The Division of Ethics of Science and Technology embodies the priority

UNESCO gives to the promotion of ethics of science and technology,
with the emphasis on bioethics.

The Division’s actions include providing support for Member States

of UNESCO that are planning to develop activities in the field of ethics
of science and technology.

The Division also functions as the executive secretariat for three

international ethics bodies, namely the World Commission on the Ethics of
Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST), the International Bioethics
Committee (IBC) and the Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC).

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