N v United Kingdom

N v United Kingdom
Court	European Court of Human Rights
Citation	[2008] ECHR 453
Keywords
Health, deportation, exceptional circumstances

N v United Kingdom [2008] ECHR 453 is an ECHR human rights case, concerning the lawfulness of deporting an individual in the UK with serious health issues.

A Ugandan citizen with HIV/AIDS claimed deportation to Uganda would be inhuman and degrading under ECHR article 3, because she would be unlikely to get health treatment. Without treatment she would stay alive for 2 years, with treatment for decades, almost as normal.

The House of Lords [2005] UKHL 31 agreed her case was not sufficiently exceptional, to justify halting deportation.

The European Court of Human Rights agreed with the House of Lords that the case was not exceptional, in contrast to the case of D v United Kingdom (1997) 24 EHRR 423.

... Article 3 does not place an obligation on the Contracting States to alleviate such disparities through provision of free and unlimited health care to all aliens without a right to stay within its jurisdiction. A finding to the contrary would place too great a burden on the Contracting States.

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