REPROHEALTHLAW Updates – Autumn 2020

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DEVELOPMENTS
Amnesty International’s new institutional policy on abortion, released Sept 28, 2020, has been endorsed by the International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO). Amnesty Abortion Policy.
Press release. Explanatory note. Key messages. FAQ.

[Poland] Constitutional Tribunal ruled that abortion on grounds of congenital fetal defects is unconstitutional. Sygn. akt K 1/20, October 22, 2020. Decision in Polish. News report in English.

[The Philippines] PINSAN (network of NGOs and individuals) released proposed text of a “decriminalization bill” and an international petition to decriminalize abortion in the Philippines, September 28, 2020.
Proposed legislation. International petition. Bill launch on Facebook with Q & A.

SCHOLARSHIP
Access to Abortion: An Annotated Bibliography of Reports and Scholarship. (Toronto: International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, 2020) 44 pages. Abortion access bibliography.

[abortion] “Why self-managed abortion is so much more than a provisional solution for times of pandemic,” by Mariana Prandini Assis & Sara Larrea, Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 28:1 (2020) Article online.

[Africa] “Adolescent sexual and reproductive health and universal health coverage: a comparative policy and legal analysis of Ethiopia, Malawi and Zambia,” by Godfrey Kangaude, Ernestina Coast & Tamara Fetters (2020) Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 28:2, 1-15. Abstract and article. Policy briefs: Ethiopia brief, Malawi brief. Zambia brief.

[Argentina] “A Case for Legal Abortion: The Human Cost of Barriers to Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Argentina,” (Human Rights Watch, 2020) 77-page report in English. Overview in English. Informe en Espanol.

[Australia] “Advancing Reproductive Rights through Legal Reform: The Example of Abortion Clinic Safe Access Zones,” by Ronli Sifris, Tania Penovic and Caroline Henckels, University of New South Wales Law Journal 43.3 (2020): 1078-1097. Abstract and Article.

[Belgium, Ireland] “Abortion law reform in Europe: The 2018 Belgian and Irish Acts on termination of pregnancy,” by Fien De Meyer – Medical Law International 20.1 (2020): 3-30. Abstract and article.

[India-abortion law] “The MTP 2020 Amendment Bill: anti-rights subjectivity,” by Alka Barua, Anubha Rastogi, V. Deepa, Dipika Jain, Manisha Gupte, and Rupsa Mallik. Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters 28.1 (2020). Commentary online.

[India] “Reimagining Reproductive Rights Jurisprudence in India: Reflections on the Recent Decisions on Privacy and Gender Equality from the Supreme Court of India,” by Dipika Jain and Payal K. Shah, Columbia Journal of Gender and Law 39.2 (2020): 1-53. Abstract and PDF access.

[Mexico] “Bioethics training in reproductive health in Mexico,” by Gustavo Ortiz-Millán and Frances Kissling, International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 151.2 (November, 2020): 308-313  PDF free access for 12 months.  Submitted Text. 

[Nigeria] “The Conflict in Northeast Nigeria’s Impact on the Sexual and Reproductive Rights of Women and Girls.” by Onyema Afulukwe and Chinonye Obianwu (Nairobi: Center for Reproductive Rights and Legal Defence and Assistance Project, 2020) 26 page report.

[Philippines] “Reasons Why We Need to Decriminalize Abortion” by Clara Rita A. Padilla (of EnGendeRights and PINSAN).
Seven reasons op-ed, 22 reasons – full report.

[Surrogacy] “Paid surrogacy abroad does not violate public policy: UK Supreme Court,” by Bernard M. Dickens, International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 150.1 (July 2020): 129-133 PDF- Free Access till July 2021.  Submitted Text.

“Transsexuality:  Legal and Ethical challenges,” by Bernard M. Dickens.  International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 151.1 (October, 2020): 163-167 PDF free access for 12 months.   Submitted Text.

US-focused news, resources, and legal developments are available  on Repro Rights Prof Blog. View or subscribe.

JOBS
Links to employers in the field of Reproductive and Sexual Health Law are online here.
______________
Compiled by: the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca.   See Program website for our Publications,  Information resources, and Reprohealthlaw Commentaries Series.  TO JOIN THE REPROHEALTHLAW BLOG: enter your email address in the upper right corner of our blog, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

REPROHEALTHLAW Updates – Sept 2018

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DEVELOPMENTS

[UN – CEDAW and CRPD] “Guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health and rights for all women, in particular women with disabilities,”   Joint statement by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 29 August 2018.  Decriminalize abortion, repeal discriminatory health policies and abortion laws that perpetuate deep-rooted stereotypes and stigma and undermine women’s reproductive autonomy and choice.    PDF online.

CALL FOR PAPERS:

“The Impact of Politics on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights,” for publication in Reproductive Health Matters, May 2019.  Submissions due October 31, 2018.  RHM Call for papers

SCHOLARSHIP:

[abortion law – Brazil]    “Brazilian Supreme Court Public Hearing on the Decriminalization of Abortion:   Antecedents, Contents, Meanings” by Sonia Corrêa  (published by Sexuality Policy Watch, 2018)  27 pages PDF     Direct download.

[abortion law – Brazil]  Testimony by Prof. Rebecca Cook . . .against Unsafe Abortion in the Public Hearing of the Brazilian Supreme Court, caso ADPF 442, Brasilia, August 3, 2018.   English original.    em Portugues do Brasil.   Testimonio – Espanol traducido por CLACAI (Consorcio Latinoamericano contra el aborto inseguro).    Uno otro en Espanol.  

[abortion law – El Salvador] “Physicians’ Challenges under El Salvador’s Criminal Abortion Prohibition,” by Alyson Zureick, Amber Khan, Angeline Chen and Astrid Reyes. forthcoming International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, October2018  Early view PDF.   Submitted text online at SSRN.

[abortion law – Malawi] “The Duty to make abortion law transparent:  A Malawi case study,”  by Godfrey Dalitso Kangaude and Chisale Mhango, forthcoming International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics,     Early view PDF.

Abortion Law in Transnational Perspective: Cases and Controversies, ed. Rebecca Cook, Joanna Erdman and Bernard Dickens (Philadelphia: Univ. Pennsylvania Press, 2014) 20% discount code is PH70.  Abstracts of all 16 chapters.   Spanish edition by FCE/CIDE – 16 abstracts.  Abortion Decisions: Table of Cases in English and Spanish.

[abortion policy] “The Philippines rolls back advancements in the postabortion care policy,” by Melissa Upreti and Jihan Jacob,  International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 142 (August 2018): 255–256.   PDF online.  Submitted text  at SSRN.

[abortion policies] “Access to knowledge and the Global Abortion  Policies Database,”  by Joanna N. Erdman and Brooke Ronald Johnson Jr.  International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, July 2018; 142: 120–124   PDF at Wiley online.   Submitted text at SSRN.

[Africanness, including sexuality],  What is Africanness?: Contesting nativism in culture, race and sexualities, peer-reviewed book by Charles G. Ngwena (Pretoria University Law Press, 2018) 306 pages.  “Part 3: Heterogeneous Sexualities” – chapter abstracts.    Entire book open access at PULP.     Table of Contents.   Overview, Comments from scholars,  PDFs of all chapters.   Podcast on African Rights Talk (2019) 

[Brazil – obstetric care, maternal mortality /morbidity, Alyne case]  “Implementing international human rights recommendations to improve obstetric care in Brazil,” by Alicia E Yamin, Beatriz Galli and Sandra Valongueiro.   International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 143.1 (October 2018): 114-120    Abstract online in English and Portuguese. English PDF for institutional subscribers.

[CEDAW]”The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women” by Rebecca J. Cook and Cusack, Simone Cusack.  In Tara Van Ho and Nigel Rodley, eds, Research Handbook on Human Rights Institutions and Enforcement (Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, Forthcoming).  Submitted text archived online.

[conscience]  Unconscionable: When Providers Deny Abortion Care  Report of the International Women’s Health Coalition, 2018, based on the first global meeting on the topic of “conscientious objection,” held in Montevideo, Uruguay in August 2017.    8-page report.

[intersex, gender] “Management of intersex newborns: Legal and ethical developments,” by Bernard M. Dickens, forthcoming International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 2018.   Early View PDF.

[self-managed abortion] “Understandings of self-managed abortion as health inequity, harm reduction and social change,” by Joanna N. Erdman, Kinga Jelinska and Susan Yanow. Forthcoming in Reproductive Health Matters. Early view PDF.

[strategic litigation] Seeking Social Change in the Courts: Tools for Strategic Advocacy, by Mónica Roa with Barbara Klugman (Women’s Link Worldwide, 2018) practical tool for advocates from all social justice fields who are interested in using the courts and understanding “strategic litigation”  160 pages, PDF online..

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES:

“The Right to Conscience” – An Annotated Bibliography.   (Toronto: International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program,
Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, 2018)  Conscience bibliography

Indications for abortion: new annotated bibliographies:

• Fetal Anomaly:  Annotated Bibliography on legal aspects of fetal anomaly and their implications for counseling, service delivery and abortion laws and policies (Toronto: International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, 2018).  Fetal anomaly bibliography
• Rape-related abortion:  Legal and policy dimensions of rape-related abortion services (Court decisions, Treaty resources, policy guidance and publications. ) (Toronto: International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, 2018).  Rape or Incest bibliography 
  
• Causal Violacion y/o incesto:  Selección de doctrina y jurisprudencia latinoamericanas sobre Causal violación y/o incesto en casos de aborto (Rape or Incest bibliography in Spanish)  (Toronto: El Programa Internacional de Derecho en Salud Sexual y Reproductivas Facultad de Derecho, Universidad de Toronto, 2018)

US-focused news, resources, and legal developments are available  on Repro Rights Prof Blog.   View or subscribe.

JOBS

Links to employers in the field of Reproductive and Sexual Health Law are online here
______________
Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here. TO JOIN THIS BLOG: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

 

The Philippines rolls back advances in postabortion care policy

Many thanks to Melissa Upreti and Jihan Jacob for their update on Philippine post-abortion care policy, published in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics.  We are pleased to circulate the reference and abstract:

Melissa Upreti and Jihan Jacob, “The Philippines rolls back advancements in the postabortion care policy,”  International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics August 2018; 142: 255–256.   PDF online.   Submitted text  at SSRN.

Abstract:  In 2018, the Philippines announced a postabortion care policy that rolls back crucial
safeguards aimed at protecting women who seek medical treatment for postabortion
complications from discrimination and abuse. It replaces another policy that was introduce in 2016, following years of advocacy by national and international advocates who were concerned about the mistreatment of women seeking postabortion care due to discriminatory practices in the health system and abortion stigma. The new policy is narrower in scope than the previous policy and reinforces abortion stigma by emphasizing the legal prohibition on abortion, failing to clarify that women seeking postabortion care need not be reported to the authorities, and not recognizing the availability of complaint mechanisms for women who are mistreated. These and other crucial gaps put the new policy at risk of being in violation of ethical standards of medical care and guarantees of human rights.

KEYWORDS
Abortion; Criminal behavior; Discrimination; Ethical standards; Mistreatment of patients;  Philippines policy reform; Postabortion care; Stigma.

Full text:    PDF online.   Submitted text  at SSRN.:

Previous article: “The Philippines’ New Postabortion Care Policy,” by Melissa Upreti and Jihan Jacob.   International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 141.2 (May 2018): 268-275.  PDF at Wiley online.  Submitted text online at SSRN.

RELATED RESOURCES

Publications by Philippine NGOs: EnGendeRights and Pinsan, the Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network  Philippines postabortion care policy resources.

Saving Women’s Lives:   National Policy on the Prevention and Management of Abortion Complications (DOH AO No. 2016-0041)   Frequently Asked Questions, by EnGenderRights and PINSAN, Dec 2017.  Download 36 pages.

Policy Brief: Access to Safe and Legal Abortion and Post-Abortion Care Can Save
Filipino Women’s Lives, by Clara Rita Padilla  (EnGendeRights, December 2016).

Fact Sheets:  “Safe and Legal Abortion Saves Women’s Lives”  by Clara Rita Padilla (EnGendeRights, Dec. 2016):
1.  Public Health Concerns and Social Costs of Lack of Access to Safe and Legal Abortion and Post-Abortion Care.    Fact Sheet 1
2. Liberalizing Abortion Laws Will Save Women’s Lives: Asian, Predominantly Catholic Countries, and Former Spanish colonies Allowing safe and Legal Abortion; The Philippine Constitution Allows Access to Safe and Legal Abortion  Fact Sheet 2.
3. Philippine Constitutional Guarantees, Comparative Law, International and Regional Human Rights Standards Support the Right to Safe and Legal Abortion.  Fact sheet 3.

Ethical and Legal Issues in Reproductive Health – 86+ concise articles published in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics.  Ethical/Legal articles.

______________
Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here. TO JOIN THIS BLOG: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

REPROHEALTHLAW Updates – May 2018

SUBSCRIBE TO REPROHEALTHLAW: To receive these updates monthly by email, enter your address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

DEVELOPMENTS:

[Africa – Kenya]  J O O (also known as J M) v Attorney General & 6 others [2018] Petition No 5 of 2014, (High Court of Kenya at Bungoma).  [obstetric violence – abuse of pregnant women in healthcare system] 
Decision of March 22, 2018.

[Africa – Malawi, vagrancy] Mayeso Gwanda v. the State, Constitutional Case No 5. 2015  (High Court of Malawi. [successful human rights challenge involving an itinerant male vendor] Decision of January 10, 2017
— This decision cites the unreported case of Stella Mwanza and 12 Others v. Republic, Confirmation Criminal Case No. 1049 of 2007 (Malawi) [re 13 women arrested on streets after dark] discussed Legal Grounds III: Reproductive and Sexual Rights in Sub-Saharan African Courts  (Pretoria, Pretoria University Law Press (PULP), 2017), p. 127  PDF of book, 228 pages. Online edition

[Mexico] Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación, Segunda Sala [Supreme Court] 2018,  Amparo en Revisión 601/2017 (Ciudad de Mexico) April 4, 2018.  [Case of “Marimar”- raped minor should not have been denied abortion by hospital]   Decision in Spanish.   News report in English.

[Mexico] Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación, Segunda Sala [Supreme Court] 2018,  Amparo en Revisión 1170/2017 (Ciudad de Mexico) April 18, 2018.  [Case of Fernanda – public institutions must allow abortions to raped minor]  Decision in Spanish.     Same news report in English.

CALL FOR PAPERS
 “The Impact of Politics on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights,” for publication in Reproductive Health Matters, May 2019.  Submissions due October 31, 2018.
RHM Call for papers

CONFERENCE

V Latin American Congress on Reproductive Rights, Santa Marta, Colombia, November 1-3, 2018.    Congress website in Spanish.  Latin American Judges and Magistrates of the highest courts will gather to foster the inclusion of a gender perspective in judicial decisions regarding reproductive rights:  Synopsis in English.

Audio-visual resources from previous IV Latin American Conference, held in Lima Peru Nov 2-4, 2015, now published online, include many talks in Spanish, and some in English:
◊   Rebecca Cook, “Gender Stereotypes: Transnational Legal Perspectives,” (Nov. 3, 2015)   Video.     Slides
◊  Marge Berer, “Violence and Reproductive Rights.” (Nov. 3, 2015)  Video
◊   Joanna Erdman, “Violence against Women and Reproductive Rights: Revealing Connections.”  Nov. 2, 2015    Video.     Slides

SCHOLARSHIP:

Abortion Law Decisions online, a Table of Cases with links, recently updated.  English.   Spanish.

[abortion] “The Philippines: New post-abortion care policy” by Melissa Upreti and Jihan Jacob,  International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 141.2 (May 2018): 268-275.  Abstract.     PDF online for 12 months.   Submitted text at SSRN.

“Abortion in Poland: politics, progression and regression,” by Julia Hussein, Jane Cottingham, Wanda Nowicka & Eszter Kismodi,  Reproductive Health Matters 26:52 (May 2018): 14-17.   Editorial online.

[conscience, Human Rights Committee, Ireland]:
“Sir Nigel Rodley’s Insights on the Feminist Transformation of the Right of Conscience,”  by Rebecca Cook,  Human Rights Quarterly 40.2 (May 2018): 255-259.   Abstract and Article.

[conscience, U.S.A.] “Divisions, New and Old — Conscience and Religious Freedom at HHS by Lisa H. Harris, New England Journal of Medicine 478.15 (April 12 2018): 1369-1371.   Article online.

[Ireland] “Conscientious Objection, Harm Reduction and Abortion Care,” by Ruth Fletcher, in: Mary Donnelly and Claire Murray eds.  Ethical and legal debates in Irish healthcare: Confronting complexities Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2016, ISBN: 978-0-7190-9946-5, Book details.     Abstract and Chapter online.

[Ireland] “Reproductive justice in Ireland: a feminist analysis of the Neary and Halappanavar cases” by Joan McCarthy, in: Mary Donnelly and Claire Murray eds.  Ethical and legal debates in Irish healthcare: Confronting complexities Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2016, ISBN: 978-0-7190-9946-5, Book details.   Abstract of Chapter.

[Ireland – medical abortion] “Empowerment and Privacy? Home Use of Abortion Pills in the Republic of Ireland,” by Sally Sheldon, Journal of Women in Culture and Society 43.4(Summer 2018): 823-849.   Abstract and Article.

[Malawi] “Adolescent sex and ‘defilement’ in Malawi law and society,” by Godfrey D. Kangaude 17 (2017) African Human Rights Law Journal 527-549.    Article online.   Abstract with other African resources.

[medical abortion]  “Medical abortion pills have the potential to change everything about abortion,” introduction by  Marge Berer and Lesley Hoggart to special issue of Contraception 97.2 (Feb 2018″ 79–81.  Sections on medical abortion potential, women’s experiences, pharmacy provision, role of health system and providers, and research agenda.   Table of Contents, Medical Abortion special issue.

[Uruguay, human rights]  “Legal barriers to access abortion services through a human rights lens: the Uruguayan experience,” by Lucía Berro Pizzarossa, Reproductive Health Matters 26.52 (2018): 1-8    Abstract and article.

US-focused news, resources, and legal developments are available  on Repro Rights Prof Blog.   View or subscribe.

NEWS:

German doctor will appeal 6000-euro fine for “advertising” abortions among other medical specialties on her website.  Comment by Stephanie Schlitt, “Criminal prohibition of abortion ‘advertising’ restricts information provision,” Brief comment.  Detailed comment.

Ireland:  May 25th 2018 Referendum voted to repeal article 40.3.3 “the eighth amendment” which had enshrined a ban on abortion.” Law reform expected.  Christina Zampas editorial in Irish Examiner: “Yes Vote would give hope to millions. . . “.     Irish Times newspaper analyzes results.

JOBS

Links to employers in the field of Reproductive and Sexual Health Law are online here

______________
Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here. TO JOIN THIS BLOG: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

The Philippines: New post-abortion care policy

Congratulations to Melissa Upreti and Jihan Jacob, whose useful article has been published in the Ethical and Legal Issues section of the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics.   We are pleased to circulate the abstract.

Melissa Upreti and Jihan Jacob, “The Philippines’ new postabortion care policy,” International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 141.2 (May 2018): 268-275.
DOI link.  PDF online for 12 months.  Submitted text at SSRN

Abstract:  In 2000, a Philippine policy clarifying the legality of medical treatment for women with postabortion complications was introduced to address unsafe abortion as a leading cause of maternal death, and reports of discrimination and abuse by healthcare providers against women who had abortions illegally. Despite its initial success as a pilot program, the policy’s implementation and expansion were not prioritized. The incidence of unsafe abortion has increased over the years and, in 2009, the right to postabortion care was codified in national law, yet the mistreatment and abuse of women has continued in violation of medical ethics and the law. In 2016, following the demands of advocates and recommendations from national and international human rights bodies, the government introduced a new policy to strengthen the national framework for postabortion care, clarifying the legal and ethical duties of health service providers and offering women formal avenues for redress against abuse. The new policy offers useful guidance for countries that are contemplating new ways to strengthen the quality of postabortion care services in accordance with recognized standards of medical ethics and human rights.

Key words:  Abortion, Accountability of service providers, Discrimination against Post‐abortion patients, Mistreatment of patients, Philippines policy reform, Post-abortion care.

The published article is online in PDF at Wiley Library.
Full text, as submitted,  is online at SSRN.
Ethical and Legal Issues in Reproductive Health: 80+ concise articles.

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Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here. TO JOIN THIS BLOG: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

REPROHEALTHLAW Updates

REPROHEALTHLAW-L  May 28, 2015

SUBSCRIBE TO REPROHEALTHLAW:  To receive these updates monthly by email, enter your address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

DECISIONS

GENDER JUSTICE OBSERVATORY-  Voting open until May 31, 2015
Vote the Best or Worst Decisions that promote or negatively affect gender equality
View all Nominated Decisions:   English    Spanish
How to vote:  English video    Spanish video

KENYA:  Hospital liable for costs of unwanted child after failure to implant contraceptive.
AAA v. Registered Trustees of Aga Khan University Hospital, Civil Case no. 3 of 2013, High Court of Kenya at Nairobi, Civil Division.
Decision online.    Newspaper summary.  Detailed summary by Godfrey Kangaude

PHILIPPINES – Contraception ban in Manila, inquiry report by UN – CEDAW, finds reproductive rights violations and discrimination. CEDAW inquiry report online.   Center for Reproductive Rights Press release.

SOUTH AFRICA – “Ukuthwala (customary law) is not a defence against rape of a child.”
High Court of the Western Cape
Jezile v S (A127/2014) [2015] ZAWCHC (23 March 2015)
Detailed Case Summary of Jezile case.  Entire Judgment.
University of Pretoria’s Centre for Child Law: Press Release

UGANDA – Preventable maternal death and constitutional right to health – Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) and others v. Attorney General, Constitutional Petition No. 16 of 2011 (Constitutional Court of Uganda) [2012] UGCC 4, 5 June 2012. Decision online.   Legal Comment.    NEWS: Overruled by Supreme Court in 2015.

EVENTS:

“Bioethics, Medical Ethics and Health Law”
UNESCO Chair in Bioethics 11th World Conference
Royal Continental Congress Center
October 20-22, 2015, Naples, Italy  Conference details.

2016 FIAPAC Conference
13 – 15 October 2016
Lisbon, Portugal  Conference details.

RESOURCES

Inspiring a Medico-Legal Revolution: Essays in Honour of Sheila McLean,  ed. Pamela Ferguson and Graeme Laurie (Ashgate,  June 2015)
Book abstract and details .
Part I:  Issues at the Beginning of Life, includes:

1 Reproductive Health and the Law, by Rebecca J. Cook and Bernard M. Dickens,

2 DIY Abortion and Harm Reduction, by Emily Jackson,

3 Parenthood and Artificial Human Reproduction: The Dangers of Inappropriate Medicalisation, by Kenneth McK. Norrie,

4 ‘Fetal Infants’: At the Edge of Life? by Margot Brazier and John Harris.

Abortion Law in Transnational Perspective:  Cases and Controversies, ed. Rebecca J. Cook, Joanna N. Erdman and Bernard M. Dickens, 16 chapters.  University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014, 482 pages. Introduction by the editors: online through SSRN. Book reviewers should contact Gigi Lamm (glamm {a} pobox. upenn. edu) Includes 16 chapters, Table of Legislation, Table of Cases, also online here, with links to abortion-related decisions in English and/or other languages). Table of Contents online here. Purchase info: link to U Penn Press.

[abortion] The Responsibility Objection to Abortion: Rejecting the Notion that the Responsibility Objection Successfully Refutes a Woman’s Right to Choose, by Ian K. McDaniel,  Bioethics, 29.4 (2015)  pp. 291-299, 2015. Abstract online.

[conscience]  Managing Conscientious Objections in Intensive Care Medicine,  An Official American Thoracic Society Policy Statement, by Thaddeus Mason Pope and Mithya Lewis-Newby, Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2015 Jan 15;191(2):219-27. Abstract Online.

[conscience]  Medical Law Review – special issue 23, on Conscience and Proper Medical Treatment, intro Sara Fovargue, Sheelagh McGuinness, Alexandra Mullock, and Stephen Smith
— Medicine and Abortion Law, by Sheelagh McGuinness and Michael Thomson
— Conscientious Objection:  Personal and Professional Ethics in the Public Square, by Jonathan Montgomery
— “In Good Conscience”:  Conscience-based exemptions and Proper Medical Treatment, by Sara Fovargue and Mary Neal
— Making decisions about decision-making: Conscience, Regulation and the Law, by José Miola
— A Bridge too Far: Individualised Claims of Conscience, by Stephen W. Smith
— Gillick Reinstated: Judging Mid-Childhood Competence in Healthcare Law: An NHS Trust v. ABC and a local Authority [2014] EWHC 1445 (FAM)
— Book Review:  Conscience and Conviction: The case for civil disobedience, by Clayton Ó Néill

[Ethics] New guidelines from the FIGO  for the Ethical Aspects of Human Reproduction and Women’s Health, published in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics (IJGO)
— Health consequences of child or adolescent marriage,  IJGO 128.1, Jan. 2015, pp 83-84. Online
 — Adolescent pregnancies, IJGO  128.2, Feb. 2015, pp. 185-186  Online.
— Conscientious objection in training IJGO 128.1 1, Jan 2015, pp. 89-90  Online.
— Women’s post-reproductive lives, IJGO 128. 2, Feb. 2015, pp. 189-190.  Online.
— Healthcare professionals’ responses to violence against women, IJGO 128.1, Jan. 2015, pp 87-88.  Online.
— Conflict of interest, including relationships with industry, IJGO 128.3, Mar. 2015, pp 282-283.  Online.

Holistic Pregnancy: Rejecting the Theory of the Adversarial Mother, by Rona Kaufman Kitchen, Hastings Women’s Law Journal, 26.2( 2015)  Article online.

[Latin America] “Reproduction and the Rule of Law in Latin America, by Michele Goodwin and Allison M. Whelan, Fordham Law Review, Vol. 83, No. 5, 2015; UC Irvine School of Law Research Paper No. 2015-44. Article online.

NEWS

Dominican Republic: Abortion Law Debated in Supreme Court,
Center for Reproductive Rights Press release

Ecuador – CEDAW recommends to decriminalize abortion for rape, incest and severe fetal impairment,  Concluding Observations – Ecuador.  Press release from Human Rights Watch.

Guyana:  Twenty years after legalization, the stigma of abortion still prevents effective implementation, by Fred Nunes (in Stabroek Newspaper)

Mexico:  legal grounds for abortion have been increased in three Mexican states: Guerrero, Michoacan and Tlaxcala. GIRE report

Morocco  considers new abortion law, led by the king and a gynecologist.  Guardian newspaper

Myanmar: population control bill signed into law despite concerns it could be used to persecute minorities.  News report.

Paraguay:  Raped 10-year old denied abortion is “tantamount to torture” claims Amnesty International.  News report

US-focused news, resources, and legal developments are available on Repro Rights Prof Blog. View or subscribe.

World Health Organization:  Misoprostol for treating Post-Partum Hemorrhage is included in the Model List of Essential Medicines
Model List.

Zimbabwe: Child brides take government to court over marriage laws.  News report.

JOBS 

Links to other employers in the field of Reproductive and Sexual Health Law are online here

Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca.   For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here. TO JOIN THIS BLOG: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

REPROHEALTHLAW Updates: Developments, Calls, Resources and News

REPROHEALTHLAW BLOG,  June 2014

SUBSCRIBE TO REPROHEALTHLAW:  To receive these updates monthly by email, enter your address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

DEVELOPMENTS:

United Kingdom:  Doctors will be able to approve abortions after conducting consultations over the phone or by Skype, according to new guidance  News article.

United Kingdom: A British high court judge ruled that a 13-year-old girl was mentally capable of deciding to abort her baby  News article.

CALLS AND CONFERENCES:

Call for Abstracts: Overcoming Obstacles – Towards the effective implementation of the rights of women with disabilities in Africa, Center for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa, Tues/Wed Nov 4-5, 2014, Submit abstract by June 15, 2014.    Call for abstracts online.

“Abortion: The Unfinished Revolution”
August 7-8,  2014 at the University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada  preliminary program   more info.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Harvard Course on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Litigation. 3-day intensive course Nov. 3-5, plus invitation to “Sexual and Reproductive Rights ‘Lawfare’ in International Tribunals,” 2-day international symposium,  on November 6-7, 2014.  Apply by July 1, 2014.  Course details online.

RESOURCES

Abortion Care, ed. Sam Rowlands, forthcoming, Cambridge University Press,  August 2014.  Paperback.  Further details.   Chapters include:
~  Abortion in international human rights law, by Joanna N. Erdman
~  the Australian experience, by Kerry Petersen
~  Stigma and issues of conscience, by Kelly R. Culwell and Caitlin Gerdts

Abortion Law in Transnational Perspective:  Cases and Controversies,  ed. Rebecca J. Cook, Joanna N. Erdman and Bernard M. Dickens, 16 chapters.  Forthcoming, University of Pennsylvania Press, August 2014.  To receive details when it is published, email reprohealth. law\at/ utoronto. ca with subject “abortion book flyer”.

[abortion – adolescents] “Sixteen and Pregnant: Minors’ Consent in Abortion and Adoption,” by Malinda L. Seymore. Yale Journal of Law & Feminism 25.1 2013. Abstract and Article.

[abortion advocacy strategy] “Using Aikido to Change the Abortion Conversation” (using quotes from bible & saints for pro-choice purposes)   by Valerie Tarico, RH Reality Check article.

[abortion – European Court of Human Rights]    “[The Judgement A, B and C v. Ireland and the Question of Abortion: A ‘New Departure’ in the European Court of Human Rights on Consensus and Margin of Appreciation?] 
= La sentencia A, B y C contra Irlanda y la cuestión del aborto: ¿Un ‘punto de inflexión’ en la jurisprudencia del Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos en materia de consenso y margen de apreciación nacional?”   by Francisco Javier Mena Parras,  Anuario de Derechos Humanos No. 8, 2012, pp. 115-124.   Abstracts in Spanish and English,   Article in Spanish.

[abortion – sex selection.] “Replacing Myths with Facts: Sex-Selective Abortion Laws in the United States.”  by the International Human Rights Clinic of the University of Chicago, in partnership with National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) and Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH). (2014)   Abstract and 46-page report.

[conscience] “Religion as a Legal Proxy” by Micah Schwartzman, forthcoming,  San Diego Law Review,  Abstract and article online.

“Conscientious objection and refusal to provide reproductive healthcare: A white paper examining prevalence, health consequences, and policy responses,” by Wendy Chavkin, Liddy Leitman, and Kate Polin, for Global Doctors for Choice  69-page paper in English. now also in Spanish.
—“ ‘Dishonourable disobedience’ – Why refusal to treat in reproductive healthcare is not conscientious objection” by Christian Fiala and  Joyce H. Arthur, forthcoming  in Woman – Psychosomatic Gynaecology and Obstetrics, proofs online
—Followup blogpost: “Competing Rights: Exploring the Boundaries of ‘Conscientious Objection” by Wendy Chavkin online at RH Reality Check.

[divorce – Philippines] “Reintroduction of Divorce in the Philippines,” LL.M. thesis by Jihan Jacob.  Abstract online, with author’s contact information

Ethical and Legal Issues in Reproductive Health – 65 articles published in the International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics  available online, including Reducing Stigma in Reproductive Health, and  Noninvasive pre-natal genetic diagnosis .

[Poland] 6th Congress of Women, May 9-10, 2014, Warsaw, Poland, 10 demands include:  “Recognition of women’s rights to make decisions concerning reproduction, including right to sex education for everyone introduced in primary school.” presented to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.  Demands online.

[sterilization] Eliminating forced, coercive and otherwise involuntary sterilization – An interagency statement by OHCHR, UN Women, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO, May 2014, 17 page report

[women’s rights] “Women’s Charters and Declarations: Building Another World,” by Rashida Manjoo (United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women)  (London: Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML), 2013)  89-page report 

[wrongful birth – Canada] “Supressing Damages in Involuntary Parenthood Actions: Contorting Tort Law, Denying Reproductive Freedom, and Discriminating Against Mothers” by Bruce Feldthusen, (working paper, May 5, 2014).

NEWS

[child marriage – Pakistan] Bill prohibiting child marriage now a law.  News report

Chile Might Change One Of The Most Restrictive Abortion Laws In The World.    News Article.  Later article.

[embryos] European Commission will not stop financing activities that destroy embryos.  Reply to “One of Us” initiative, may 28, 2014.  Press release in many languages.

[Guyana]  Plans being refined to offer abortion service at public hospitals – Chief Medical Officer says.  News article.

Jamaican MP, Dayton Campbell, a medical doctor and lawyer, advocates reform of “ancient” abortion laws –  June 1, 2014  newspaper article.

[polygamy – Kenya]   President Uhuru Kenyatta Signs controversial law legalizing the longstanding customary practice of polygamy.
BBC Report .  CNN Report.

[Senegal]  11-year-old girl, refused abortion after rape, gives birth prematurely to twins. News article.

US-focused news, resources, and legal developments are available on Repro Rights Prof Blog.  View or subscribe.

JOBS

Links to other employers in the field of Reproductive and Sexual Health Law are online here

Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca   For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here. TO JOIN THIS BLOG: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage,, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

 

 

Reintroduction of Divorce into Philippine Law

Congratulations to Jihan  Jacob, LL.M., a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law, who submitted her thesis for a Master of Laws degree in August 2013.  We thank her for providing the following abstract.  We also wish her all the best in her new position as Legal Fellow for Asia with the Center for Reproductive Rights.  She can be reached at jihan.jacob\at/gmail.com.

REINTRODUCTION OF DIVORCE INTO PHILIPPINE LAW

by Jihan A. Jacob, Master of Laws, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto

2013

The Philippines and Vatican City are the only states left in the world without divorce. During pre-colonial times and the Japanese occupation of the country, absolute divorce was legal and widely practiced. At present, while the Philippines recognizes relative divorce, or legal separation as termed under its Family Code, it has not sanctioned absolute divorce in the country except for Muslims and foreigners.

The thesis argues for the reintroduction of absolute divorce into Philippine law on a legal, pragmatic, and rights-based approach. It argues that divorce protects and strengthens the family; it is legal, constitutional, and in compliance with the international human rights obligations of the Philippines; it answers the issues on and inadequacies of the existing legal framework on nullity, annulment, and legal separation; it is one of the solutions to decrease, if not end, spousal violence; and its absence is discriminatory on the grounds of social class, religion, and nationality.

The Philippines may still have a long way to go before divorce is finally restored in its laws; however, bringing back divorce in the country is undoubtedly called for, certain, and inevitable.

Abstracts of other graduate theses in our field are online here.

Developments, resources, news, scholarships & opportunities

SUBSCRIBE TO REPROHEALTHLAW:  To receive these updates monthly by email, enter your address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

DECISIONS AND CASES

CEDAW decision:  S.V.P. v. Bulgaria, CEDAW, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/53/D/31/2011 held state accountable for inadequate legal protections and failure to exercise due diligence re girl (“V.P.P.”) subjected to sexual violence and molestation by adult neighbour.
CEDAW decision dated November 24, 2012, online. 
Case summary by Simone Cusack online.  

Inter-American Court of Human Rights – El Salvador Government being sued over treatment of Beatriz and Criminalization of Abortion.  Lawsuit filed November 29, 2013 by the Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion in El Salvador, the Feminist Collective for Local Development, CEJIL (Center for Justice and International Law), and Ipas Central America.
English article online.   Spanish article online.

United States – Catholic hospitals:  American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing US Catholic bishops for hospital directives below standard of care for pregnant woman.  Press release online.

RESOURCES

[abortion]  “Reductions in abortion-related mortality following policy reform: evidence from Romania, South Africa and Bangladesh,” by Janie Benson, Kathryn Andersen and Ghazaleh Samandari  Reproductive Health 8.39 (2011). Abstract and Article online here.

[abortion, health, human rights.] New book:  Health and Human Rights by  Thérèse Murphy, (Oxford: Hart Publishing 2013)  includes chapter on reproductive rights:  “The Dignity of Choice” pp. 159-187.  Book details online.

[abortion – Ireland] Ruth Fletcher’s submission to the Oireachtas Abortion Hearings (May 21, 2013)
available in Human Rights in Ireland blog May 22, 2013
8 minute radio spot – MP3 file May 21, 2013
Other abortion posts on Human Rights in Ireland blog.

[abortion – Ireland – women forced to travel]  “Peripheral governance: administering transnational healthcare flows,” by Ruth Fletcher, in International Journal of Law in Context 9 (2013):160-191,  doi:10.1017/S1744552313000074  Abstract online.

[abortion- mifepristone (RU-486) not approved in Canada] “Medical abortion in Canada:  Behind the Times,” by Sheila Dunn and Rebecca Cook.   Canadian Medical Association Journal, Nov. 25, 2013
Early view extract online.
Globe and Mail newspaper article.    Toronto Star newspaper article.

[conscientious objection]   “Let Conscience Be Their Guide? Conscientious Refusals in Health Care” Bioethics special issue,
Table of Contents with full text access for institutional subscribers.

—Editorial by volume editors Carolyn McLeod and Jocelyn Downie (pages ii–iv)

—“Am I My Profession’s Keeper?  by Avery Kolers, (pp. 1-7).

—“Conscientious Refusal and Health Professionals: Does Religion Make a Difference?” by Daniel Weinstock, pp. 8-15

—“Justification for Conscience Exemptions in Health Care” by Lori Kantymir and Carolyn McLeod (pp 16-23).

—“A Neglected Aspect of Conscience: Awareness of Implicit Attitudes” by Chloë Fitzgerald (pp 24–32).

—“Welcome to the Wild, Wild North: Conscientious Objection Policies Governing Canada’s Medical, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Dental Professions,” by Jacquelyn Shaw and Jocelyn Downie (pp 33–46).

[emergency contraception and conscientious objection, Italy]    “Whose Self-Determination? Barriers to Access to Emergency Hormonal Contraception in Italy” by  Emanuela Ceva and Sofia Moratti, Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 23.2 (2013): 139-67. Abstract and article online here.

[ethical and legal issues in reproductive health] Full texts of concise papers on Ethical and Legal Issues in Reproductive Health, published in the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology since 1999.  Wide range of topics,  including vitro fertilization, access to reproductive health information, applying human rights to maternal health, WHO guidance on safe abortion and harm reduction.   Full texts online on our website.

[health and human rights] Book:  Advancing the Human Right to Health, ed. Jose M. Zuniga, Stephen P. Marks, Lawrence O Gostin (Oxford University Press, 2013)  includes chapters on Brazil, China, Ghana, Haiti, Japan, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States; also includes:
—“Advancing the right to health through litigation,” by Oscar A Cabrera and Ana S. Ayala
—“The right to health in post-apartheid era South Africa,” by Charles Ngwena, Rebecca Cook, and Ebenezer Durojaye    Book details online here.

[reproductive health, MDGs] “New development paradigms post-2015 for health, SRHR and gender equality, includes experiences from Brazil, India, Kenya, Lao PDR, Mexico, Nigeria,  South Africa and Uganda,  all in current issue of Reproductive Health Matters 21.42 (Nov. 2013).
Articles and Table of Contents are online here.

NEWS

[abortion – Australia, New South Wales (NSW)] – Decriminalise abortion: pro-choice in practice is not the same as legal protection by Prof. George Williams, Professor of Law at University of NSW.  “Zoe’s Law” (now a bill) would protect the unborn fetus.  Comment in the Sydney Morning Herald.

[abortion] “Israel’s Secular-Religious Abortion Compromise”  discusses legal context.  Online news article.

[emergency contraception – levonorgestrel] European authorities involved in the process decided to include the following statement in the levonorgestrel labeling: ‎”In clinical trials, contraceptive efficacy was reduced in women weighing 75 kg or more and levonorgestrel was not effective in women who weighed more than 80 kg.”

[Europe] Estrela report on SRHR sent back to European Parliament by FEMM.   Briefing paper for Dec 10, 2013 vote.

Russia:  Putin signs law banning abortion advertisement in Russia.  News article online.

US-focused news, resources, and legal developments are available on Repro Rights Prof Blog.  View or subscribe here.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

“CEDAW for Change” Institute: May 24 – 31, 2014 in Toronto, Canada. Weekend workshop on the UN human rights system (May 24-25), followed by a five-day intensive on CEDAW (May 27-31). Details are online here.

International Women’s Human Rights Education Institute 2014 August 4 – 15, 2014 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Course limited to 30 students– First come, first served. Application period starts January 1, 2014.  Details are online here.

Master of Health Science (MHSc) in Bioethics Program at the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics. Program is course-based, no thesis, 2 years, part-time in modular format for busy professionals. Apply by March 1, 2014.  Details are online here.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS

Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA) Fellowship Program, at at Georgetown University in Washington DC.  Application deadline is January 14, 2014. Details are online here.

Visiting Fellows Program at Harvard Law School 2014-15, for human rights scholars or practitioners anywhere in the world. Apply by January 15, 2014.  Details are online here.

Gordon F. Henderson Post doctoral Fellowship  May 2014-May 2015, at The Human Rights Research and Education Centre, University of Ottawa.  Apply by Jan. 31, 2014.  Details are online here.  For more info. call  613-562-5800, ext 3462 or email psimons{at}uottawa.ca.

Columbia Law School – Center for Reproductive Rights Fellowship 2014-2016,  for recent law school graduates interested in careers in teaching law – Deadline has been extended to February 28, 2014.    Details are online here.

JOBS
Links to other employers in the field of Reproductive and Sexual Health Law are online here

TO RECEIVE THESE UPDATES MONTHLY: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here.

Decisions, Guidelines, Courses, Resources, News & Jobs

REPROHEALTHLAW-L
April 10, 2013

DECISION

United States:  Emergency Contraception must be made available over-the-counter, without prescription, to women of all ages.
Decision of April 5, 2013,  Tummino et al. v. Hamburg et al.
can be downloaded here.
Initial press release from Center for Reproductive Rights:  online here.
Overview of CRR’s decade-long litigation campaign is online here.

GUIDELINES:

New FIGO guidelines on “Safe Motherhood” published by the FIGO Committee for the Ethical Aspects of Human Reproduction and Women’s Health in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 120.3 (March 2013): 312-313, mention: “Where abortion is not against the law, every woman should have the right, after appropriate counseling, to have access to medication or surgical abortion. The healthcare service has an obligation to provide such services as safely as possible. Proper medical and humane treatment should be made available to women who have undergone an unsafe abortion.”

For other FIGO Ethical Guidelines on abortion, contraception and related subjects, in English French and Spanish, click here. 

 COURSES

[Argentina] Diplomatura en Salud y Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos (SDSR). Gestión Integral de Políticas, Programas y Servicios, Inicia 18 de abril de 2013, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Spanish course information online.

[US] The Global School on Judicial Enforcement of ESC Rights Course on Health Rights Litigation – one-week intensive course, Sept. 16-20, 2013 at Harvard University in Boston, MA, includes reproductive and sexual health;  designed for PhD students, scholars, practitioners (e.g., law, public health, human rights or development), policy-makers and advanced master’s students. The number of participants is restricted, and applications are due to rcantor{at}hsph.harvard.edu  by June 1, 2013.  For application and more course details,
see Current Projects, Item 3(A), here.  

RESOURCES

[abortion: Barbados] “Capturing the Moment: The Barbados Experience of Abortion Law Reform – An Interview with Dame Billie Miller,” by Dame Billie Miller and Nicole Parris in Social and Economic Studies 61.3(Sept 2012) Special Issue on Women’s Reproductive Health and Rights in Select Caribbean Countries (Guest Editors: Taitu Heron and Shakira Maxwell): Article online.

[abortion: Germany and Canada]“ The German Abortion Decisions and the Protective Function in German and Canadian Constitutional Law by Vanessa MacDonnell and Jula Hughes, forthcoming in Osgoode Hall Law Journal (Summer 2013): Text available online.

[abortion: Guyana]  “Legal but Inaccessible: Abortion in Guyana.” by Fred Nunes in Social and Economic Studies 61.3(Sept 2012) Special Issue on Women’s Reproductive Health and Rights in Select Caribbean Countries (Guest Editors: Taitu Heron and Shakira Maxwell):  
Article online.

[abortion, Jamaica]  “Fighting a Losing Battle? Defending Women’s Reproductive Rights in Twenty-First Century Jamaica.” by Shakira Maxwell in Social and Economic Studies 61.3(Sept 2012) Special Issue on Women’s Reproductive Health and Rights in Select Caribbean Countries (Guest Editors: Taitu Heron and Shakira Maxwell):  
Article online.

“Religion, Culture and Tradition: Strengthening Efforts to Eradicate Violence against Women,” by Shareen Gokal and Sandra Dughman Manzur, AWID briefing document for CSW57, contains useful links and summaries of relevant international human rights instruments and discussion of religious justifications for human rights violations. Download from AWID.

[emergency contraception] UN 57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women agrees to end violence against women and girls, including and the agreed language explicitly calls for accessible and affordable health care services, including emergency contraception, for victims of violence:  Agreed conclusions online.  

[Farsi / Persian resource for Iranian women] 1500-word excerpt from Rebecca Cook’s “State Responsibility for Violations of Women’s Rights,” (1994) has been translated and published in an online open-access journal, Law, Culture and Gender, issue 11, (2013) by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting:   
1500-word excerpt in Farsi (Persian).

“Human Rights and Accountability,” PMNCH Knowledge Summary #23, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, 2013:
4-page overview with references.

Jurisprudence on Health and Reproductive Rights, summarized by Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)
 in English and  in Spanish

Jurisprudence summaries on gender violence, equality and discrimination, rights of children and adolescents, also by CEJIL:
in English     and in Spanish  

 Other CEJIL Publications, including summaries of Norms in the Inter-American Human Rights System:   in English;   in Spanish

“Religion, Culture and Tradition: Strengthening Efforts to Eradicate Violence against Women,” by Shareen Gokal and Sandra Dughman Manzur, AWID briefing document for CSW57, contains useful links and summaries of relevant international human rights instruments and discussion of religious justifications for human rights violations. Download from AWID.

Reprohealthlaw – Legal commentaries on past decisions and developments are online here.

NEWS:

France’s Free Abortion Law Takes Effect.  Huffington Post article.

[abortion] Indonesia and Pakistan have new hotlines for info about safe medical abortion     ASAP blog post
More info re Pakistan hotline.

Northern Irish women risk jail for using abortion pills.  news report.

Philippines Supreme Court stops implementation of Reproductive Health Law for 120 days. news report.

Philippines needs resolute political support on reproductive health. editorial by Melissa Upreti.

US-focused news, resources, and legal developments are available on Repro Rights Prof Blog.  View or subscribe.

JOBS

Legal Assistant for Europe and Global Advocacy Programs, Center for Reproductive Rights, NY USA, apply by April 18, 2013.  Job details.

Program Associate, Global Legal Program, Center for Reproductive Rights.  Apply by April 13, 2013. Job details.

Links to other employers in the field of Reproductive and Sexual Health Law are online here.

Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here.
Our Annual Report for 2012 is now online through our homepage.