The Constitutional Influence on Organ Transplants with specific Reference to Organ Procurement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2014/v17i1a2211Keywords:
Organ procurement methods, organ transplants, organ shortage, opting-in, presumed consent, required request, required response, the sale of organs, organ procurement from prisoners, Constitution, Bill of Rights, constitutionalAbstract
This article assesses the influence of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 on the law pertaining to organ transplants with specific reference to methods of organ procurement. These methods include a system of opting-in, presumed consent, required request, required response, the sale of organs, and organ procurement from prisoners. It is argued, in view of the acute shortage of organs, that the various organ procurement methods are in need of review in the context of the question of whether they are acceptable and sustainable within the constitutional framework. To this end, the article deals with the application, limitation and interpretation of the rights in the Bill of Rights and its interface with the various organ procurement methods in the context of a discussion of applicable legislation and relevant case law. It is argued that a constitutional analysis of the topic is indicative that the State has indeed failed to provide a proper or satisfactory legislative and regulatory framework to relieve the critical shortage of human organs available for transplantation, by ultimately failing to uphold the applicable constitutional rights and values as discussed.
Downloads
References
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Literature
Ackermann Human Dignity
Ackermann L Human Dignity: Lodestar for Equality in South Africa (Juta Cape Town 2012)
Allain 2011 Med L Rev
Allain J "Trafficking of Persons for the Removal of Organs and the Admission of Guilt of a South African Hospital" 2011 Med L Rev 117-122
Almeida Market Failure
Almeida VF Market Failure in Health Care: The Effect of Altruism on the Supply of Blood and Human Organs in South Africa (MCom-dissertation University of the Witwatersrand 2001)
Barnett and Kaserman 1993 Issues in Law and Medicine
Barnett AH and Kaserman DL "The shortage of organs for transplantation: exploring the alternatives" 1993 Issues in Law and Medicine 117-137
Beauchamp and Childress Principles
Beauchamp T and Childress J Principles of Biomedical Ethics 6th ed (Oxford University Press New York 2009)
Botha Statutory Interpretation
Botha CJ Statutory Interpretation: An Introduction for Students 5th ed (Juta Cape Town 2012)
Botha 2009 Stell LR
Botha H "Human dignity in comparative perspective" 2009 Stell LR 171-220
Brand and Heyns Socio-economic Rights
Brand D and Heyns C (eds) Socio-economic Rights in South Africa (PULP Pretoria 2005)
Carstens and Pearmain Foundational Principles
Carstens PA and Pearmain D Foundational Principles of South African Medical Law (LexisNexis Durban 2007)
Cheadle, Davis and Haysom South African Constitutional Law
Cheadle MH, Davis DM, Haysom NRL (eds) South African Constitutional Law: The Bill of Rights 2nd ed (LexisNexis Butterworths Durban 2005)
Cooper et al 1982 SA Medical Journal
Cooper DKC et al "Medical, legal and administrative aspects of cadaveric organ donations in the RSA" 1982 SA Medical Journal 933-938
Currie and De Waal Bill of Rights Handbook
Currie I and De Waal J The Bill of Rights Handbook 5th ed (Juta Cape Town 2005)
Devenish South African Constitution
Devenish GE The South African Constitution (LexisNexis Butterworths Durban 2005)
De Ville Constitutional and Statutory Interpretation
De Ville JR Constitutional and Statutory Interpretation (Interdoc Goodwood 2000)
Dhai and McQuoid-Mason Bioethics
Dhai A and McQuoid-Mason D Bioethics, Human Rights and Health Law (Juta Cape Town 2011)
Ebrahim and Haffejee Shari'ah and Organ Transplants
Ebrahim AFM and Haffejee AA The Shari'ah and Organ Transplants (Islamic Medical Association of South Africa Mobeni 1989)
Fourie Analysis on the Doctrine of Presumed Consent
Fourie EJ An Analysis on the Doctrine of Presumed Consent and the Principles of Required Response and Required Request in Organ Procurement (LLM-dissertation University of Pretoria 2005)
Ghods and Sava 2006 CJASN
Ghods AJ and Sava S "Iranian model of paid and regulated living-unrelated kidney donation" 2006 CJASN 1136-1145
Goolam 2001 PER
Goolam NMI "Human dignity - our supreme Constitutional value" 2001 PER 43-55
Goolam "Human Organ Transplantation"
Goolam NMI "Human Organ Transplantation - Multicultural Ethical Perspectives" Unpublished paper presented at the 13th World Congress on Medical Law (2002 Helsinki)
Hassim, Heywood and Berger Health and Democracy
Hassim A, Heywood M and Berger J (eds) Health and Democracy: A Guide to Human Rights, Health Law and Policy in Post-apartheid South Africa (Juta Cape Town 2007)
Kwitowski 2005 J Med & L
Kwitowski BT "Learning from each other: Combining strategies to end the organ shortage" 2005 J Med & L 141-160
Labuschagne Analysis of Organ Transplantation
Labuschagne D An Analysis of Organ Transplantation with Specific Reference to Organ Procurement (LLM-dissertation University of Pretoria 2013)
Liebenberg 2005 SAJHR
Liebenberg S "The value of human dignity in interpreting socio-economic rights" 2005 SAJHR 1-31
Moellendorf 1998 SAJHR
Moellendorf D "Reasoning about Resources: Soobramoney and the Future of Economic Right Claims" 1998 SAJHR 327-333
Moodley Medical Ethics
Moodley K (ed.) Medical Ethics Law and Human Rights: A South African Perspective (Van Schaik Pretoria 2011)
Orentlicher 2008-2009 Rutgers L Rev
Orentlicher D "Presumed consent to organ donation: Its rise and fall in the United States" 2008-2009 Rutgers L Rev 295-331
Ryan 2009 MSU J Med & L
Ryan CJ "The anatomical wealth of nations: A free market approach to organ procurement" 2009 MSU J Med & L 427-447
Slabbert Handeldryf
Slabbert M Handeldryf met Menslike Organe en Weefsel vir Oorplantingsdoeleindes (LLD-thesis University of the Free State 2002)
Slabbert 2008 Koers
Slabbert M "Combat organ trafficking - reward the donor or regulate sales" 2008 Koers 75-100
Slabbert, Mnyongani and Goolam 2011 Koers
Slabbert M, Mnyongani FD and Goolam N "Law religion and organ transplants" 2011 Koers 261-282
Spellman 2006 Syracuse L Rev
Spellman A "Encouragement is not enough: The benefits of instituting a mandated choice organ procurement system" 2006 Syracuse L Rev 353-382
Spital 1996 Ann Intern Med
Spital A "Mandated choice for organ donation: Time to give it a try" 1996 Ann Intern Med 66-69
Van Oosten Doctrine of Informed Consent
Van Oosten FFW The Doctrine of Informed Consent in Medical Law (Peter Lang Frankfurt am Main 1989)
Veatch Transplantation Ethics
Veatch RM Transplantation Ethics (Georgetown University Press Washington DC 2000)
Venter Selection of Constitutional Perspectives
Venter B A Selection of Constitutional Perspectives on Human Kidney Sales (LLM-thesis University of South Africa 2012)
Woolman et al Constitutional Law
Woolman S et al Constitutional Law of South Africa 2nd ed (Juta Cape Town 2012)
Case law
Bernstein and Others v Bester and Others NNO 1996 2 SA 751 (CC)
Carmichele v Minister of Safety and Security 2001 4 SA 938 (CC)
Castell v De Greef 1994 4 SA 408 (C)
Dawood and Another v Minister of Home Affairs and Others 2000 3 SA 936 (CC)
Du Plessis and Others v De Klerk and Another 1996 3 SA 850 (CC)
Ferreira v Levin 1996 1 SA 984 (CC)
Glenister v President of the RSA and Others: Helen Suzman Foundation as Amicus Curiae 2011 3 SA 347 (CC)
Government of the Republic of South Africa and Others v Grootboom and Others 2001 1 SA 46 (CC)
Investigating Directorate: Serious Economic Offences and Others v Hyundai Motor Distributors (Pty) Ltd and Others: In Re Hyundai Motor Distributors (Pty) Ltd and Others v Smit NO and Others 2001 1 SA 545 (CC)
Khoza v Minister of Social Development 2004 6 SA 505 (CC)
Minister of Health v Treatment Action Campaign (2) 2002 5 SA 721 (CC)
Port Elizabeth Municipality v Various Occupiers 2005 1 SA 217 (CC)
Prinsloo v Van der Linde and Another 1997 3 SA 1012 (CC)
S v Jordan 2002 6 SA 642 (CC)
S v Makwanyane 1995 3 SA 391 (CC)
S v Manamela 2000 3 SA 1 (CC)
S v Netcare Kwa-Zulu (Proprietary) Limited, Agreement in Terms of s105A(1) of Act 51 of 1977, Netcare Kwa-Zulu (Proprietary) Limited and the State (Commercial Crime Court, Regional Court of Kwa-Zulu-Natal) unreported case number 41/1804/2010 of 8 November 2010
S v Williams 1995 3 SA 632 (CC)
Soobramoney v Minister of Health (Kwa-Zulu Natal) 1998 1 SA 765 (CC)
Stoffberg v Elliott 1923 CPD 148
Legislation
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996
Human Tissue Act 65 of 1983
National Health Act 61 of 2003
Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000
Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000
Government publications
Proc 11 in GG 35081 on 27 February 2012
Internet sources
Department of Health date unknown http://www.health.gov.za/nhi.php
Department of Health date unknown National Health Insurances http://www.health.gov.za/nhi.php accessed 22 January 2013
HSRC 2013 http://www.hsrc.ac.za/uploads/pageContent/3895/06%20HEALTH%20CARE%20SERVICES.pdf
Human Sciences Research Council 2013 The South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey http://www.hsrc.ac.za/uploads/pageContent/3895/06%20HEALTH%20CARE%20SERVICES.pdf accessed 30 February 2014
L'Engle date unknown http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/human-rights
L'Engle M date unknown Quotes about Human Rights http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/human-rights accessed 7 November 2012
Molakeng date unknown http://www.hst.org.za/news/15-000-wait-donated-organs
Molakeng S date unknown 15 000 Wait for Donated Organs http://www.hst.org.za/news/15-000-wait-donated-organs accessed 1 September 2013
Organ Donor Foundation date unknown http://odf.org.za/
Organ Donor Foundation date unknown Home Page http://odf.org.za/ (accessed 7 November 2012)
Organ Donor Foundation 2009 http://www.health24.com/Medical/Heart/Heart-transplants/Organ-transplant-statistics-20120721
Organ Donor Foundation 2009 Organ Transplant Statistics http://www.health24.com/Medical/Heart/Heart-transplants/Organ-transplant-statistics-20120721 accessed 1 September 2013
Organ Donor Foundation 2013 http://odf.org.za/2013-06-11-09-17-45/statistics.html
Organ Donor Foundation 2013 Statistics http://odf.org.za/2013-06-11-09-17-45/statistics.html accessed 1 September 2013
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2017 Debbie Labuschagne, Pieter A Carstens
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
.png){kind=spacer}