A report on voluntary sterilisation with special reference to minors and women who are intellectually disabled

There are no specific legislative provisions regulating sterilisation in any State or Territory in Australia and there is a dearth of general case law on the subject. To determine the law relating to sterilisation, we need to consider both criminal and civil liability. In the absence of specific statutory provisions, it is necessary to examine the common law and the possible application of non-specific statutory provisions in both areas.

Fertility reduction policies and poverty in Third World countries: ethical issues

This article begins with a discussion of the motivation for fertility reduction and related population policies. Next, it identifies the two major approaches to evaluating these policies in the population ethics literature: the individualistic approach and the international approach. Each approach is then characterized according to the kinds of policies evaluated, the ethical principles that are most prominent, and the major conclusions drawn. Major empirical gaps in the population ethics literature are identified, and pertinent social science issues concerning the effectiveness of family planning programs, the socioeconomic determinants of fertility, and the interpersonal or community determinants of fertility are discussed. Finally, these issues are linked with the United Nations World Population Plan of Action to identify ethical questions that warrant detailed scrutiny.