Aslak Syse

Can cesarean section be performed without the woman's consent?

Occasionally, an obstetrician can experience conflicts between the mother and her fetus. In a situation where the life of the fetus is in danger, religious, cultural, or other convictions may cause the mother to refuse the physicians recommendations for delivery. When there is a medical indication to perform cesarean section, but the mother refuses, has the obstetrician then a right to perform a cesarean section to save the fetus from possible death or serious injury? In 1987, The Norwegian Directorate of Health made a statement on cesarean section without consent, but later, new legislation on patient rights has been introduced. In Norway, no scientific medical articles have been published on this topic, and no cases have yet been brought to court. Cases of court‐ordered cesarean section have been reported from the UK and the USA. In this report, we discuss some of the ethical, moral, and legal aspects of forced cesarean sections.

Physical interventions and aversive techniques in relation to people with learning disabilities in Norway

Behaviour programmes containing aversive elements came under scrutiny in Norway following the de‐institutionalisation of people with learning disabilities in the early nineties. A special act was introduced to limit and regulate the need for such measures. This paper describes the situation prior to the act and outlines the arguments used in favour of and against it. The authors also report on a board specially appointed to evaluate the act.

Breivik – The Norwegian Terrorist Case

On July 22, 2011, there were two murderous attacks in Norway. Both assaults - the bombing of governmental buildings in Oslo City center and the lethal shooting down of young members of the Labour Party on an island - were planned and accomplished by a lone perpetrator. These episodes give rise to several interesting questions. What happened really, and how could it happen? Was the perpetrator sane or insane? What was the ideological background for the attacks? It is unnecessary to discuss in any detail whether or not these acts should be categorized as terrorism. However, there is good reason to consider what these terror attacks imply for Norwegian society at large. What significance did the attacks have for Norwegian democracy, and did they have any impact on the 2013 parliamentary elections? What will be the future for the offender, both in the short term and in years to come? What will happen to the Norwegian insanity defense? These questions are addressed in this article.