Victims of Violence: The Forced Sterilisation of Women and Girls with Disabilities in Australia

This paper considers the issue of forced sterilisation of women and girls with disabilities in the Australian context. It examines the history and ideological underpinning of this practice, the current Australian regime and the present rationales for court or tribunal authorisation of a sterilising...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Laura Elliott
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2017-07-01
Series:Laws
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-471X/6/3/8
Description
Summary:This paper considers the issue of forced sterilisation of women and girls with disabilities in the Australian context. It examines the history and ideological underpinning of this practice, the current Australian regime and the present rationales for court or tribunal authorisation of a sterilising procedure. It is by no means an exhaustive coverage, but aims to critically analyse the current system and make recommendations for reform of Australian law and policy. This paper ultimately concludes that the practice of forced sterilisation in Australia should be criminalised, save for exceptional circumstances.
ISSN:2075-471X