Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority [1987]

Victoria Gillick ran an active campaign against the hospital policy of prescribing contraceptive to a girl under 16 because the doctor would commit an offence of encouraging sex with a minor and it would be treatment without parental consent.

The House of Lords of England: Lord Scarman agreed the 'Gillick Competency'. He stated that as a matter of Law the parental right to determine whether or not their minor child below the age of 16 will have medical treatment terminates if and when the child achieves sufficient understanding and intelligence to understand fully what is proposed.

The 'Gillick Competency' depends on the maturity of the minors and it is decided on a case by case basis. The age is an arbitrary categorization. The most challenging argument is whether there is a limit on the age of 'Gillick Competency'.

Victoria Gillick 推动一项运动反对医生处方避孕药与十六岁以下的女童，她认为这样会助长未成年少年进行性行为，她相信这样的处方必须得到家长同意。

英格兰上议院的决定：Lord Scarman同意‘Gillick Competency'，他认为从法律观点出发家长的医疗决定权随着16以下未成年少年的成长而终止。只要该少年有足够能力或智力全面了解该决定便可自行下决定。

'Gillick Competency'主要取决于少年的成熟程度以及必须按个别案例下决定。年龄只是一个随意的项目。对'Gillick Competency'最大的挑战是在年龄上是否有一个界限。

Source: http://en.m.wikipedia.org