Criminal Law and the Sexual Transmission of HIV: R v Dica
| Author | Matthew Weait |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2230.2005.00531.x |
| Date | 01 January 2005 |
| Published date | 01 January 2005 |
Criminal Law and the Sexual Transmission of HIV:
RvDica
MatthewWeait
n
INTRODUCTION
In what circumstances should thosewho, during sexual intercourse, transmit ser-
ious disease to others, be subject to criminal sanctions? Despite the relative dearth
of domestic appellate decisions,this question has provided a feast of academic and
policy-oriented commentary and analysis;
1
and it is a question that has been ren-
dered even more urgent by recent revelations about the dramatic increase in the
rate at which SexuallyTransmitted Infections (STIs) are being spread.
2
The inter-
est generated by the subject has, one suspects, two principal causes. First, it is a
topic that re£ects, insofar as it concerns the transmission of HIV, a more general
interest in theways in which criminal law can and should respond to a new and
hugely signi¢cant challenge to human health
3
. Second, it is a subject which,
because it brings into sharprelief complex and particular problems of fault,causa-
tion and harm, allows lawyers to explore, and test the limits of, established crim-
n
Lecturer in Law, KeeleUniversity.I am grateful to CatherineDodds, Miranda Hill, Daniel Monk, David
Perrya nda n anonymousreviewer for their comments.The usual disclaimers apply.
1 For domestic academic commentaryprior to RvDica see A. Lynch,‘Criminal Liability for Trans-
mitting Diseas e’Crim LR (1978)612; G.T. Laurie,‘AIDS and Crimi nal Liability Under Scots Law’
36 JLSS (1991) 312; K.J.M. Smith, ‘Sexual Etiquette, Public Interest and the Criminal Law’ 42
NILQ (1991) 309; S.H.Bronitt, ‘CriminalLiability for the Transmissionof HIV/AIDS’ 16Cr im LJ
(1992) 85;P.Al ldridge,‘Sex, Lies and the Criminal Law’4 4NILQ (1993)250; S.H.Bronitt,‘Spread-
ing Disease and the Criminal Law’ Crim LR(1994) 21; D.C. Ormerod and M.J. Gunn,‘Criminal
Liability for theTransmission of HIV’ 1WebJournalof CurrentL egalIssues (1996); J.Dine and B.Watt,
‘TheTransmission of Disease During Co nsensual Sexual Activityand the Concept of Associative
Autonomy’ 4 WebJournalof CurrentLegal Issues(1998);M.J.Weait,‘Takingthe Blame: Criminal Law,
Social Responsibility and the Sexual Transmission of HIV’ 23 JSWFL (2001) 441; J. Chalmers,
‘Criminalizing HIV Transmission’ 28 Journal of Medical Ethics (2002) 160. For a comprehensive
review of the international literature see R. Elliott, Criminal Law and HIV/AIDS: Final Report
(Montreal: Canadian HIV/AIDSLegal Network and Canadian AIDS Society,1997).
2 The Health Protection Agency reports that in England,Wales and Northern Ireland therewas a 9
per cent rise in the rate of chlamydia infection and a 28 per cent rise in syphilis between 2002 and
2003 (http://www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/news/articles/press_releases/2004 040727_sti_inc_2003.htm). For
the most recent data on the epidemiology and prevalence of HIV in England and Wales see
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hiv_and_sti/epidemiology/epidemiology.htm
3 A signi¢cant number of academic discussions ^ primarily in the U.S.l iterature^ make explicit the
respective (dis)bene¢ts of criminal and public health law interventions. See, for example, K.M.
Sullivan and M.A. Field,‘AIDS and the Coercive Power of the State’ 23 Harvard CivilRights-Civil
LibertiesLaw Review (1988) 139; L.G ostin,‘The Politicsof AIDS: Compulsory State Powers, Public
Health and Civil Liberties’OhioState LawJournal(1989)1017;J. Dwyer,‘LegislatingAIDS Away:The
Limited Roleof Legal Persuasion in Min imizing the Spread of HIV’Journalof Contemporary Health
Lawand Policy (1993) 167;Z. Lazzarini et al.,‘Evaluating the Impactof Crimi nal Lawson HIV Risk
Behavior’30 Journal of Law, Medicineand Ethics (20 02) 239.
rThe Modern LawReview Limited 2005
Published by BlackwellPublishing, 9600 Garsington Road,Oxford OX4 2DQ,UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA
(2005) 68(1)MLR 121^134
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