Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:28:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Flavio Luiz Teixeira Junior.pdf: 1201306 bytes, checksum: 49a74139d58f63cf11a035d20b548b72 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-04-15 / This work aims to present that, in the brazilian law, the unborn is human person since the conception, owning rights originated of his personality, althought the most important is the fundamental right to life. The subject matter involving this right to life originates of the respect to dignity of the human person value, which runs the principle of human life, inserted in the Federal Constitution, but also incorporated by the international conventions that the Brazil is signatary, and that influences all the brazilian juridic ordenament. As the right is coherence and uniformity, it presents that the protection of the right to life of the unborn happens as much by the civilistic optic like with the right to support recognized by doctrine and jurisprudence, and with the heatlhy development of the pregnancy, product of the total protection doctrine , as by the penal optic, with the tipification of the offense of the abortion. This protection happens even though the seed of relativization of this right to life, like in the judgment of the constitutionality of using human embryo as a source of steam cell, by divergent interpretations of legal texts, or by the appeal for the legalization of the eugenic abortion / O presente trabalho objetiva demonstrar que, no direito brasileiro, o nascituro é pessoa humana desde a concepção, possuindo direitos decorrentes de sua personalidade, sendo que o mais importante é o fundamental direito à vida. A temática envolvendo este direito à vida se origina do valor da dignidade da pessoa humana, do qual decorre o princípio do respeito à vida humana, inserido na Constituição Federal, mas também assimilado dos tratados internacionais que o Brasil é signatário, e que influencia todo o ordenamento jurídico brasileiro. Como o direito é coerência e uniformidade, demonstra-se que a proteção ao direito à vida do nascituro ocorre tanto sob a ótica civilista como com o direito aos alimentos reconhecido pela doutrina e jurisprudência, e com o desenvolvimento sadio na gravidez, produto da doutrina da proteção integral , quanto sob a ótica penal, com a tipificação do delito de aborto. Essa proteção existe mesmo frente à semente de relativização deste direito à vida, como no julgamento da constitucionalidade do uso de embriões humanos como fonte de células-tronco, por interpretações divergentes dos textos legais, ou pelo apelo para a legalização do aborto eugênico

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-22T17:26:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gilmara Timm _Dissetacao.pdf: 922281 bytes, checksum: eac803a6e2f40859b5acec5268b2b50a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-12-15 / The transplant activity is considered as one of the most important medical innovations of this century, attracting more media attention and public opinion than other technologies or therapeutic ways. A possible explanation is that the donation-transplant process, beyond technical aspects, it has ethical, legal and moral implications. According to health policy we see the government as main state agent, not only for defining the legislation to be applied, but also in relation to requiring from the hospital institutions the application of the legislation regarded to the topic, making countries of the same continent show different indexes in relation to donations and transplants. For developing this study was applied the methodology of a qualitative research, through documental methodology, as well as descriptive and comparative, with Dialectical Criticism approach with the aim of analyzing the Donation and Transplants Policies of Brazil and Uruguay, searching to identify their similarities and differences. Data collecting were carried out from Brazilian and Uruguayan Legislation, as well as from administrative rules and resolutions related to organ donations and transplants of these countries. The documents used were of public domain published on official governmental websites of these countries. The systematized data were analyzed from the content analysis technique, allowing to reveal symmetries and asymmetries in the Brazilian and Uruguayan legislations and to identify limiting aspects in the donation of organs and transplants process in these countries, through pre-established categories. In this study we can conclude that both countries use the criterion of death as the Death Encefálica.No Brazil organ donation is permitted while in Uruguay's donation is presumed. The diagnosis of ME is more succinct in Uruguay than in Brazil. In Brazil there are easier to donate an organ to a living relative. Both countries exempt the requirement for judicial authorization in the case of living donation to a spouse, Brazil extends the exemption for the spouse, while the Uruguayan law is silent in this regard. In Brazil, the family interview is an essential part in the donation process. In Uruguay, the family interview will only occur if the deceased was not express in life the desire to donate or not. In both countries there is a social control in relation to the waiting list for an organ and tissue. Both countries are characterized with regard to crimes transplants as crimes against life and they bring in their penal legislation types incriminating against professionals and health institutions. Both countries seek to meet assistencialmente the giver and receiver. Finally, it is observed that this study is a snip of a bigger Health Care Research Program in the Mercosur, coordinated by Professor Dr. Vera Maria Ribeiro Nogueira / A atividade de transplante é considerada como um dos mais importantes avanços médicos deste século, exercendo uma atração na imprensa e na opinião pública maior do que outras tecnologias ou formas terapêuticas. Uma possível explicação para este fato é que o processo doação-transplante, além dos aspectos técnicos, tem implicações éticas, morais e legais. Nessa política de saúde vemos como agente principal o Estado, tanto no momento de definir a legislação a ser aplicada, como também no que tange a cobrar das instituições hospitalares o cumprimento da legislação atinente ao tema, o que faz com que países de um mesmo continente apresentem índices muito diferenciados em relação à doação e transplantes. Para o desenvolvimento deste estudo foi aplicado o método de uma pesquisa qualitativa, através de uma metodologia documental, descritiva e comparativa, com abordagem Dialético-Crítica, onde se pretendeu analisar as Políticas de Doação e Transplantes do Brasil e do Uruguai, buscando identificar suas semelhanças e diferenças. A coleta de dados se deu a partir das legislações do Brasil e do Uruguai, bem como em portarias e resoluções em matéria de doação de órgãos e transplantes desses países. Os documentos que subsidiaram a análise foram de domínio público, publicados em sites oficiais dos governos desses países. Os dados sistematizados foram analisados a partir da técnica de análise de conteúdo, permitindo desvelar simetrias e assimetrias nas legislações do Brasil e do Uruguai e identificar aspectos limitadores do processo de Doação de Órgãos e Transplantes nesses países, mediante categorias pré-estabelecidas. Neste estudo pode-se concluir que ambos os países utilizam o critério de morte como sendo o da Morte Encefálica.No Brasil a doação de órgãos é consentida enquanto que no Uruguai é doação é presumida. O diagnóstico de ME é mais sucinto no Uruguai do que no Brasil. No Brasil há maior facilidade de se doar um órgão em vida para um parente. Ambos países dispensam a exigência de autorização judicial em se tratando de doação em vida para cônjuge, o Brasil estende a dispensa para o companheiro, enquanto que a lei Uruguaia é omissa nesse aspecto. No Brasil a entrevista familiar é parte fundamental no processo de doação. No Uruguai a entrevista familiar só irá ocorrer se o falecido não manifestar em vida o desejo ou não de doar. Em ambos os países há um controle social em relação à fila de espera por um órgão e tecido. Ambos os países caracterizam os crimes em matéria de transplantes como crimes contra a vida e ambos trazem em suas legislações tipos penais incriminadores em relação aos profissionais e instituições de saúde. Ambos os países procuram atender assistencialmente o doador e receptor. Por fim, cabe ressaltar que este estudo é um recorte de um projeto maior de Pesquisa em Atenção à Saúde no MERCOSUL, coordenado pela Profª Dra. Vera Maria Ribeiro Nogueira

Les conditions d'exécution de toute mesure privative de liberté sont déterminantes de son sens et de son efficacité en termes de réinsertion et lutte contre la récidive. La préservation de l'intégrité physique et psychique des personnes détenues constitue un facteur de légitimité indéniable de l'institution carcérale et de son rôle au sein d'une société démocratique. En vertu des articles 2 et 3 de la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme, qui protègent respectivement le droit à la vie et la prohibition des traitements inhumains et dégradants, la jurisprudence européenne a identifié une pluralité d'obligations mises à la charge des États. Les atteintes portées à l'intégrité des personnes détenues dans le cadre de la détention carcérale peuvent être directement imputable à l'État lorsqu'elles résultent du fonctionnement officiel de l'institution, en particulier des fouilles, des placements à l'isolement, des rotations de sécurité, ou des conditions de détention. Elles peuvent aussi lui être indirectement imputables, lorsque la défaillance étatique a permis ou toléré la réalisation d'un acte particulier violant ces droits absolus protégés. L'élaboration des critères d'imputation à l'État de ces atteintes au droit à l'intégrité des personnes détenues et les limites de la responsabilité étatique sont précisément déterminées par la définition et l'intensité des obligations européennes. Si la Cour de Strasbourg apparaît comme le premier facteur de la mutation du droit pénitentiaire et d'une protection renforcée des droits des personnes incarcérées, les lacunes de sa jurisprudence pourraient avoir des effets contradictoires et faire obstacle à l'élaboration d'une théorie cohérente et systématisée des obligations conventionnelles européennes. / The conditions of enforcement of any custodial measure are crucial for its meaning and effectiveness in tenns of reinsertion and the prevention ofreoffending. The preservation of the prisoners' physical and psychological integrity is a source oflegitimacy for the prison institution and its function in a democratic society. Under articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which are respectively protecting the right to life and the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment, the European Court ofHuman Rights, in its case law, bas identified numerous obligations imposed on Member States. The violations of the prisoners' integrity during custody can be directly imputable to the State when resulting from the official functioning of the institution, especially bodil searches, solitary confinements, security rotations, or conditions of imprisonment. The violations can also be indirectly imputable to the State when its own failure pennitted or tolerated a violation of these absolute rights by a private person. The development of the criteria for violations of prisoners' integrity and the limits of the State responsibility are precisely delineated by the definition and the intensity of European obligations. If the European Court ofHuman Rights appears to be the primary cause of the changing nature of prison and of an increased protection of the prisoners' rights, the loopholes of its case law might have contradictory effects and stand in the way of a coherent theory of the obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:21:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Aleksandro Clemente.pdf: 1903186 bytes, checksum: cda10a16cd5837d02e381629d7472268 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-05-14 / This paper discusses the controversial issue of the abortion legalization in Brazil based on careful analysis of the argument that this would be a necessary measure to address a public health problem, which is: the high rate of maternal mortality caused by the illegal practice of abortion. The subject studied in this academic research seeks to know whether this argument - that the abortion legalization is a necessary measure to address a public health problem - resists a more accurate and rational analysis, even if legal abortion could be upheld by Brazilian legal system. This paper seeks to investigate some hypothesis: 1st - Legalizing abortion is a necessary or proper to reduce the high rate of maternal mortality in Brazil and perfectly compatible with our legal system; 2nd - Legalizing abortion is a necessary or proper to reduce the high rate of maternal mortality in Brazil, however, it have no support in the Brazilian legal system, 3rd - Abortion legalization is no solution to reduce the maternal mortality rate in Brazil, but the Brazilian legal system have no obstacles to such an extent , 4th - The abortion legalization is not a solution to reduce the maternal mortality rate in Brazil and also finds no support in the Brazilian legal system. We analyzed the issue of abortion legalization in Brazil in a rational and objective way, studying Brazilian and also other countries legislation considering the subject. Furthermore, the findings obtained in this study are based on surveys and statistics compiled and disseminated by various institutions - public and private - as well as government agencies, including the Brazilian Health Ministry / O presente trabalho debate a polêmica questão da legalização do aborto no Brasil a partir da análise criteriosa do argumento de que esta seria uma medida necessária para solucionar um problema de saúde pública, qual seja: o alto índice de mortalidade materna ocasionado pela prática do aborto clandestino. A problemática estudada nesta pesquisa acadêmica busca saber se esse argumento - o de que a legalização do aborto é uma medida necessária para solucionar um problema de saúde pública resiste a uma análise mais apurada e racional e, ainda, se a legalização do aborto encontra amparo no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro. As hipóteses que esse trabalho busca investigar são as seguintes: 1ª Legalizar o aborto é uma medida necessária ou adequada para reduzir o alto índice de mortalidade materna no Brasil e perfeitamente compatível com o nosso ordenamento jurídico; 2ª Legalizar o aborto é uma medida necessária ou adequada para reduzir o alto índice de mortalidade materna no Brasil, porém, não encontra amparo no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro; 3ª A legalização do aborto não é solução para reduzir o índice de mortalidade materna no Brasil, embora no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro não haja óbices para tal medida; 4ª A legalização do aborto não é solução para reduzir o índice de mortalidade materna no Brasil e também não encontra amparo no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro. Procuramos analisar a questão da legalização do aborto no Brasil de modo racional e objetivo, estudando a legislação brasileira acerca do assunto e também a legislação de outros países. Além disso, as conclusões obtidas neste trabalho se baseiam pesquisas e estatísticas elaboradas e divulgadas por diversas instituições pública e privadas - bem como por órgãos governamentais, dentre eles o Ministério da Saúde do Brasil

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:22:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Francisco Ilidio Ferreira Rocha.pdf: 1639834 bytes, checksum: d80e01f8689e7b9c075a63eabeff840b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-04 / This thesis has the purpose of analyzing the current state of the constitutional protection of human life and, from this, specifies the axiological dimension of the vital existence of the human being. In this sense, it pursues the goal to establish, legally, what is life as a constitutional and legal interest worthy of protection, stating its definition and separating it by differentiation of those so called life related rights. These conceptual foundations are indispensable to the attainment of what is intended as a legal-axiological study of human life, which allows to recognize that, despite the imperatives derived from the principle of human dignity, the legal protection of human life realizes in different degrees of intensity and from arbitrary criteria in a way that allows the deduction that human life is considered more or less valuable in certain circumstances and, in some cases, one can even say that the biological life of the human being does not have any value at all. Identification of thecritical circumstances implying varying degrees of protection of life, as well as those authorizing the abandonment and denial of its value, constitutes the core of this thesis / A presente tese tem como objeto a análise do atual estado da tutela constitucional da vida humana e, a partir dessa premissa, precisar a dimensão axiológica da existência vital do ser humano. Nesse sentido, persegue-se a pretensão de determinar, juridicamente, o que é a vida como um bem jurídico constitucional e penalmente protegido, precisando sua definição e apartando-o, adequadamente, daqueles assim designadosdireitos concernentes à vida. Tais bases conceituais são indispensáveis para a realização do escopo desta tese, a saber, um estudo jurídicoaxiológico da vida humana, no qual se reconhece que, a despeito dos imperativos derivados do princípio da dignidade da pessoa humana, a proteção jurídica da existência vital do ser humano realiza-se em diferentes graus de intensidade e a partir de critérios arbitrários que permitem deduzir que a vida humana é considerada mais ou menos valiosa em determinadas circunstâncias, e que, noutros casos, podese mesmo dizer que a vida biológica do ser humano não possui valor qualquer. A identificação de circunstâncias críticas que implicam em graus variáveis de proteção da vida, bem como aquelas que autorizam o abandono e a negação de seu valor, constitui-se no cerne desta tese

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-12-20T08:45:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Janaina Thais Daniel Varalli.pdf: 7930952 bytes, checksum: 7c6958c40e0d283c0387bd3fd6e54cf1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-20T08:45:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Janaina Thais Daniel Varalli.pdf: 7930952 bytes, checksum: 7c6958c40e0d283c0387bd3fd6e54cf1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-12-13 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The main objective of the work is to investigate the right to a dignified death as a true fundamental right of the individual. The premise is that if national and international legislation protects the right to a dignified life, as can be seen from the systematic and teleological reading of articles 5 and 225 of the Federal Constitution and international documents such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one must recognize the right to the dignified life in all the phases of existence of the subject, even when it is in terminal phase. In order to develop the study, the principles of bioethics and biolaw, the concepts of euthanasia, orthothanasia, assisted suicide and dysthanasia, as well as palliative care were analyzed. The role of the State as guarantor of the right to life was also analyzed, but also as a guarantor of freedom and autonomy in the private matters. Emblematic cases have been investigated in order to observe the current stage of discussion and legislation in Brazil and in the world. The right to a dignified death, whether through voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide, is an unfolding of the right to a dignified life and can be exercised by those who are aware, informed of their clinical conditions and options, privileging the autonomous decision of the subject to submission to certain medical treatments and procedures and regarding the duration of life, which can be foreseen in the instrument called advance directives. If life is a right it can not become a real burden / O principal objetivo desta pesquisa é investigar o direito à morte digna como verdadeiro direito fundamental do indivíduo. Parte-se da premissa de que se a legislação nacional e internacional protegem o direito à vida digna, como se depreende da leitura sistemática e teleológica dos artigos 5º e 225 da Constituição Federal e de documentos internacionais como a Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos, deve-se reconhecer o direito à vida digna em todas as fases de existência do sujeito, mesmo quando ele está em fase terminal. Para desenvolver o estudo foram analisados os princípios da Bioética e do Biodireito, os conceitos de eutanásia, ortotanásia, suicídio assistido e distanásia, bem como dos cuidados paliativos. Analisou-se também o papel do Estado como garantidor do direito à vida, mas também como garantidor da liberdade e da autonomia na esfera privada. Foram investigados casos emblemáticos a respeito do assunto, para se observar o estágio atual da discussão e da legislação, no Brasil e no mundo. O direito à morte digna, seja por meio da eutanásia voluntária ou do suicídio assistido, é um desdobramento do direito à vida digna e pode ser exercido por aquele que tem consciência, está informado de suas condições clínicas e opções, privilegiando-se a decisão autônoma do sujeito a respeito da submissão a determinados tratamentos e procedimentos médicos e a respeito da duração da vida, o que pode ser previsto no instrumento denominado de diretrizes antecipadas. Se a vida é um direito, então, não pode se transformar em verdadeiro fardo

Abortų problema yra prieštaringai vertinama daugelyje pasaulio valstybių. Dažniausiai diskusijų sukelia tokios temos kaip vaisiaus ir motinos teisės, tačiau tėvo teisės sulaukia mažiau dėmesio, nors šis klausimas yra ne mažiau aktualus. Jei tėvas prisideda prie gyvybės sukūrimo, tai kodėl neturėtų dalyvauti sprendžiant ir jos nutraukimo klausimą? Vyro teisės priimant aborto sprendimą ne visada buvo vienodos ir keitėsi su laiku. Jeigu senovėje nutraukiant nėštumą lemiamą sprendimą priimdavo vyras, tai dabar ši teisė priklauso moteriai. Tačiau vyrai toliau kovoja už teisę turėti palikuonį, remdamiesi vaisiaus teisės į gyvybę teorija, moterų ir vyrų lygių teisių įstatymais, Konstitucija ir kitais teisės aktais. Atlikus tarptautinių dokumentų, Jungtinių Amerikos Valstijų, Jungtinės karalystės ir Lietuvos nacionalinių teisės aktų bei tarptautinių ir nacionalinių teismų praktikos analizę vyro teisės priimant aborto sprendimą klausimu, prieita prie išvados, kad tarp būsimųjų tėvų iškilus nesutarimui dėl nėštumo nutraukimo sprendimo priėmimo, lemiamas žodis atitenka motinai, o tėvui tenka susitaikyti su moters priimtu sprendimu, kadangi jis neturi jokių įstatymuose garantuotų teisių uždrausti moteriai darytis abortą, nesvarbu ar jis būtų moters sutuoktinis ar ne. Šiomis dienomis, kai visur yra pabrėžiamos vyrų ir moterų lygios teisės, kai moterys ir vyrai atrodo, kad visose srityse pasiekė lygybės, liko bent viena sritis, kurioje vyrai turi mažiau teisių negu moterys – tai priimant... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Abortion is a very controversial issue in various countries. The discussion it arises is mainly concerned with mother’s and unborn fetus’s rights but father’s rights are rarely discussed. The aim of this thesis is to analyze father’s rights in abortion decision. The attitude towards father’s rights has been changing with time. The first law against abortion appeared in ancient times protecting the father's right to have an offspring and the woman’s opinion was not important. But nowadays the situation has changed – the abortion decision is left for the mother. In most countries men have no right to stop a woman from having an abortion with a small exception of some mostly Muslim countries. The thesis analyzes international documents and jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR); national laws, related to abortion decision and father’s rights and case law in the United States of America, the United Kingdom (UK) and Lithuania. The analysis of international and national laws and jurisprudence shows that when a woman becomes pregnant, the man who impregnated her has few legal rights with respect to that pregnancy. He can neither require the woman to remain pregnant if she chooses to have an abortion nor force her to have an abortion if she wants to give a birth. Furthermore, if the woman chooses to bear a child, the father is legally liable for child support. The question arises – if men have financial responsibilities for their children, should not they have... [to full text]

À la suite d'attaques terroristes massives est apparue une motivation féroce qui risque d'être manipulée pour justifier des excès de force. Voulant prévenir des attaques armées contre leurs intérêts, certains États ont adopté des politiques de « tuerie ciblée » pour éliminer de façon permanente des terroristes en sol étranger qui menacent leur sécurité. II est pourtant illégal de tuer des individus en l'absence de conflits armes sans égard au droit à la vie. La présente recherche tient à déterminer si, en vertu du droit international, des États peuvent neutraliser par force des individus dangereux ou bien venir au secours d' otages en sol etranger. En étudiant l'article 51 de la Charte des Nations Unies, un certain nombre de conclusions sont apparues, notamment que des opérations pour « arrêter ou neutraliser » ne peuvent avoir lieu que dans des États qui supportent des terroristes ou qui restent indifférents face à leur présence, et que I'expression « guerre contre Ie terrorisme » ne peut permettre des «tueries ciblées » sans avoir à considérer les droits à la vie et à la légitime défense. Puisque toute division entre les membres de la communauté internationale peut venir limiter la prévention d'attaques, le fait que la coopération entre les États ayant abolis la peine de mort et ceux ayant recours aux « tueries ciblées » puissent en souffiir fait l'objet de cet ouvrage. Ladite recherche conclue que l'utilisation de « tueries ciblées » en dehors du contexte de conflits armés ne peut être permis qu'en dernière mesure lorsque réellement nécessaire pour prévenir des attaques armées et protéger la vie. / From the ashes of devastating acts of terrorism has arIsen a resolve so powerful that measures of counterterrorism risk being manipulated by states to justify excess. In an attempt to prevent armed attacks against their interests, a number of states have adopted policies of targeted killing to permanently incapacitate terrorists on foreign soil. The intentional killing of suspected offenders, however, cannot be lawfully carried-out by states in the absence of armed conflict without regard for the right to life. The following research attempts to determine whether it is permissible for nations to use force on foreign soil to . incapacitate dangerous individuals or rescue hostages under international law. By studying article 51 selfdefense of the United Nations charter, a number of conclusions are asserted, namely that operations to "arrest or neutralise" can only be carried-out in states that support terrorists or are complacent to their presence, and that declaring "war on terrorism" cannot allow governments to kill suspected terrorists in countries where there is no war, except in a manner that is reconcilable with the rights to life and selfdefense. Since division among members of the international community may ultimately diminish their ability to collectively suppress international terrorism, the potential for hindered cooperation between abolitionist states and those that carry-out targeted killings is also addressed. The current research concludes that targeted killings can only be justified outside the context of armed conflict when they are truly necessary as a last resort to prevent armed attacks and save lives. / "Mémoire présenté à la faculté des études supérieures en vue de l'obtention du grade de Maîtrise en droit (LL.M.)". Ce mémoire a été accepté à l'unanimité et classé parmi les 10% des mémoires de la discipline.

The legitimating of euthanasia raise the conflict of private and social interests. While raising the autonomy and wealth of individual as an ideal order to every state in the society of the second half of twentieth century people felt, that they have a right to carry out their decisions related to their as well as to the other individual’s way of death. In 1996 in Lithuania the legislation which gave the right to the patient to reject the treatment was adopted which is why now in our country we can also raise the question whether the right to choose the treatment is not enough liberal to call it the right to choose death.

Magister Legum - LLM (Public Law and Jurisprudence) / The issue of abortion and the protection of the right to life have been discussed by many academics, yet remains an unresolved topic in many countries. The mere fact that abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy raises the question, whether or not such an act violates the right to life. Abortion has been legalised in South Africa and Germany. This study explores the area of abortion vis a viz the obligation of South Africa and German under the international and regional human rights instruments to protect the right to life. Notably, the right to life is protected under a plethora of international and regional human rights instruments. At international level, the right to life is protected under Article 3 of the Universal declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. At regional level of the right to life is protected by Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples� Rights. To give a broad understanding of the meaning, nature and content of the right to life, this mini-thesis shall critically analyse the words used under the above Articles which protect the right to life. Then the paper will endeavour on its main objective which is to determine whether or not the legalisation of Abortion in South Africa and Germany violates the right to life?