Scholarly record

LIMITATION OF PARENTAL AUTONOMY AND ITS JUSTIFICATION IN CASE OF IMMEDIATE MEDICAL INTERVENTION

B. Preloznjak

Abstract

In ideal circumstances, parents are the most devoted advocates for their children. They have first-hand information about the children and take care passionately about the childrenВ’s welfare. Therefore, the law recognizes parents as guardians of childrenВ’s welfare and gives them substantial autonomy in making decision for their children. However, sometimes the actions of well-meaning parents could be a subject of testing limits of parental autonomy. It is especially the case if their actions represent a risk for childrenВ’s well-being, as it was recently the case in Croatia where the mother refused chemotherapy as medical treatment for her ten-year-old child that suffers from cancer in order to provide a child alternative therapy. In that particular case the state intervened and limited parental autonomy to protect children, regardless the fact that a child could be treated with alternative therapy that is available in some EU countries. This case is showing us that justification of state intervention is difficult, as the state must balance between parental autonomy and well-being of children. However, the state could make mistakes, even in cases that are considered the best interest of the child and seek for the quick reactions of state agents in order to preserve childВ’s health that is seriously threatened by disease. With an aim to analyse the limits of parental autonomy and its justification in case of immediate medical intervention, the author will define the philosophical notion of parental autonomy. Further, the philosophical notion will be compared with the legal principle of parental autonomy in order to determine the extent to which parental autonomy should be free of coercive intrusion of the state.

Publication details

Back to publication list