Bodily autonomy
Definition
The principle that a person has sovereign control over their own body and cannot be subjected to physical interference without their consent or specific legal authority. It underlies constitutional and human rights constraints on compelled sample collection.
Related terms
- Intimate sample (PACE)
- Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, a sample of blood, semen, or any other tissue fluid, urine, or pubic hair,...
- Medical examination order
- Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, a court or magistrate may direct that an accused person be examined by a registered...
- Non-intimate sample (PACE)
- Under PACE 1984, a sample of hair (other than pubic hair), nail clippings, saliva, a swab from a non-intimate external body surface,...
- Schmerber doctrine
- The rule from Schmerber v. California (1966) that a compelled blood draw does not violate the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination because...
- Testimonial evidence
- Evidence that communicates a fact through the suspect's own mental process or assertion, for example a confession, a password, or a document...
Explained in
- Bodily Samples: Consent and CompulsionThe principle that a person has sovereign control over their own body and cannot be subjected to physical interference without their consent or specific legal...