Doctrine of Informed Consent in Medical Law

The so-called doctrine of informed consent is one of the most controversial and hotly-debated issues on the present-day international medico-legal scene. This study comprises an investigation of the nature, scope and application of the doctrine in the West German, English and South African legal systems as representatives of widely diverging and often conflicting approaches to the doctor's duty of disclosure. The problems relating to the informed-consent requisite and the solutions offered thereto are expounded, discussed, analysed and evaluated within the framework of case law and legal opinion in the three selected legal systems. The study concludes with a synopsis of fundamental principles of informed consent recommended for South Africa.