Information Note on the Court’s case-law No. 102
November 2007
S.H. and Others v. Austria (dec.) - 57813/00
Decision 15.11.2007 [Section I]
Article 8
Article 8-1
Respect for family life
Respect for private life
Prohibition under domestic law on the use of ova and sperm from donors for in vitro fertilisation: admissible
The applicants are two couples who suffer from sterility and wish to make use of medically assisted procreation for conceiving a child. Given their medical conditions, in the case of the first couple only in vitro fertilisation with the use of sperm from a donor and in the case of the second couple in vitro fertilisation using ova from donors would have any chance of success. However, the Artificial Procreation Act prohibits the use of ova and sperm from donors for in vitro fertilisation. The first and third applicants unsuccessfully challenged the Act before the Constitutional Court, which found the impugned provisions justified, as the legislation was aimed at avoiding the forming of unusual personal relations and the risk of exploitation of women.
Admissible under Article 8, taken alone and in conjunction with Article 14.
© Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights
This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.
Click here for the Case-Law Information Notes
Full & Egal Universal Law Academy