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The Principle of Human Dignity in Tunisia: Between Political Recuperation and Low Practical Recognition

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The Reality of Human Dignity in Law and Bioethics

Part of the book series: Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice ((IUSGENT,volume 71))

Abstract

In Tunisia, dignity is more than just a principle––it is an ideal which reflects a certain conception of life in society, an overall objective of State responsibility. Dignity is expressly recognised in the 2014 Constitution, as well in other instruments and texts relating to welfare and health, both explicitly and implicitly. But despite this recognition, dignity does not have much practical effect: it cannot yet found an action for compensation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Tunisia experienced, from December 2010, an unprecedented wave of popular uprisings which led the former President Z. B. Ali to leave the country on 14 January 2011. On this point, see in particular: Puchot, P. (2011). Tunisie. Une révolution arabe. Paris: Galaade; Piot, O. (2011). La révolution tunisienne, Dix jours qui ébranlèrent le monde arabe. Paris: éditions Les Petits Matins; Meddeb, A. (2011). Printemps de Tunis, La métamorphose de l’Histoire. Paris: Albin Michel, Tunis: Cérès éditions.

  2. 2.

    Constitutional law 2002-51 of June 1st, 2002.

  3. 3.

    New article 5 of the 1959 Constitution.

  4. 4.

    A token gesture because it was a smokescreen intended for the international community and the observer and not to address the large-scale violence and abuses which existed in the country.

  5. 5.

    New article 5 of the 1959 Constitution, indent 2.

  6. 6.

    Tarchouna, M. (2013). L’insertion des droits sociaux fondamentaux dans la constitution. Un impératif pour la révolution de la dignité. In La Diversité dans le droit: Mélanges offerts à la Doyen Kalthoum Meziou-Douraï, 787. La Manouba: Centre de publication universitaire.

  7. 7.

    Preamble.

  8. 8.

    Article 4 of the old Constitution.

  9. 9.

    “The motto of the Tunisian Republic is: ‘Freedom, Dignity, Justice and Order’”. Article 4 indent 3 of the 2014 Constitution.

  10. 10.

    Article 21 of the Constitution.

  11. 11.

    Article 23 of the Constitution.

  12. 12.

    Article 40 of the Constitution: “Every citizen has the right to work under decent conditions and for a fair wage”.

  13. 13.

    Article 47 of the Constitution: “Children’s rights to dignity, health, healthcare, education and schooling are guaranteed by their parents and the State”.

  14. 14.

    Article 30 of the Constitution: “All detainees are entitled to a human treatment that preserves their dignity”.

  15. 15.

    Law 2005-83 of 15 August 2005, promoting and protecting disabled persons.

  16. 16.

    Article 1 of law 2005-83.

  17. 17.

    Article 2 of law 2005-83.

  18. 18.

    Law 94-114 of 31 October 1994.

  19. 19.

    Law 95-92 of 9 November 1995.

  20. 20.

    Whereas the 2014 Constitution refers to the dignity of the child. See above introduction.

  21. 21.

    Preliminary title of the law, “General Principles”.

  22. 22.

    Article 12 of law 95-92. In December 2014, following an impromptu visit by members of the government to the prison of Gammarth, and given the conditions of incarceration of young delinquents, “disrespecting all human dignity”, measures to move and close the prison were adopted as a matter of urgency: http://www.businessnews.com.tn/hafedh-ben-saleh-decide-la-fermeture-provisoire-du-centre-des-mineurs-delinquants,520,52368,3.

  23. 23.

    The torture of prisoners of conscience was common practice under Presidents Bourguiba and B. Ali.

  24. 24.

    In October 2011, Tunisia was the first Arab country to ratify the provisions of the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture (OPCAT). On 9 October 2011, the National Assembly adopted a law on the creation of the National Authority for the Prevention of Torture and adopted decree-law 105 on Tunisia’s accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment. Today, article 23 of the 2014 Constitution prohibits “psychological and physical torture. The crime of torture is not subject to any statutory limitations”.

  25. 25.

    Law 2001-52 of 14 May 2001.

  26. 26.

    Article 1 of law 2001-52.

  27. 27.

    Chaired by T. Bouderbala, the Commission was tasked with investigating all violations and abuses committed between 17 December 2010 and 23 October 2011. This Commission handed its report to the Head of State in May 2012.

  28. 28.

    Although they are increasingly rare, these practices have not disappeared: the Tunisian Organisation for the Fight against Torture has revealed that it recorded 15 cases of torture in January 2015.

  29. 29.

    Law 92-83 of 3 August 1992 on mental health and the conditions of hospitalisation for mental disorders: “People suffering from mental disorders shall be hospitalised in accordance with the principles of respect for individual freedom and under conditions which guarantee human dignity” (article 1).

  30. 30.

    Article 23: “The State shall protect the dignity of human beings and their physical integrity”.

  31. 31.

    All of Title II (“Attacks on individuals”) and its first chapter (“Attacks on persons”).

  32. 32.

    Law 91-22 of 25 March 1991 on the removal and grafting of human organs. “The physical integrity of the person is guaranteed” (article 1).

  33. 33.

    On this point see the documents of the 17th Annual Conference of the National Medical Ethics Committee, Médecine, éthique et grève de la faim, Tunis, 2013, in particular the communication of Pr. S. Zmerli, “La grève de la faim chez le détenu”, p. 5 and of Pr. S. Laghmani, “Aspect légal de la prise en charge du gréviste de la faim”, p. 24.

  34. 34.

    Law 91-63 of 29 July 1991.

  35. 35.

    Article 5 of law 91-63.

  36. 36.

    Article 32 of decree 81-1634 of 30 November 1981 establishing general internal regulations for hospitals.

  37. 37.

    Article 18 of the decree. The Hospital Patient’s Charter reiterates these patient rights. See comment on: http://www.atds.org.tn/b23.html.

  38. 38.

    Law 2001-93 of 7 August 2001 on reproductive medicine.

  39. 39.

    Article 1 of law 2001-93.

  40. 40.

    Quotation of J. Bernard, see: http://www.lefaitmedical.ch/fr/articles/experimentation-humaine-et-essais-cliniques-controles-36-141.

  41. 41.

    Decree 90-1401 of 3 September 1990 laying down the procedures for medical and scientific testing of drugs intended for human medical use. See in particular the decree issued by the Health Minister of 13 January 2015.

  42. 42.

    Code of Medical Ethics.

  43. 43.

    Article 107 of Decree 90-1401.

  44. 44.

    Which is one of the cornerstones of actions for compensation. See below II.

  45. 45.

    On the contentious effects of consent, see below II.

  46. 46.

    The General Internal Regulations of Hospitals impose a certain number of constraints on hospital patients and therefore limit their autonomy. The Code of Obligations and Contracts stipulates that the basis of the contract is unlawful when it is contrary “to accepted principles of morality, public policy or the law” (Article 67). The law on organ transplants prohibits the removal of vital organs and reproductive organs which carry any defective hereditary gene (Articles 4 and 5). On the position of Tunisian law on the unavailability of the human body, see Jelassi, R. (2013). Le corps humain en droit civil. La Manouba: Centre de publication universitaire, 335 and s.

  47. 47.

    Labrusse-Riou, C. (1998). Les procréations artificielles : un défi pour le droit. In Éthique médicale et droits de l’Homme, 70. Paris: Actes Sud/Inserm, coll. “La Fabrique du corps humain”.

  48. 48.

    “The removal of organs […] for financial consideration and any other form of transaction […] is prohibited”. Article 6 of the law on the removal of organs; “Human blood is extracted […] with consideration […]”; “The issuing of whole blood is free of charge”. Articles 2 and 7 of law 82-26 of 17 March 1982 on the organisation of the collection of human blood for transfusion.

  49. 49.

    Decree of the Health Minister of 13 January 2015 establishing the model informed consent form to be used in connection with the medical and scientific testing of drugs.

  50. 50.

    See Dabin, J. [1952] (2007). Le droit subjectif. Paris: Dalloz. For Tunisia, see Charfi, M. (2003). Introduction à l’étude du droit. Tunis: Cérès éditions.

  51. 51.

    Such is the case of all persons with regard to the protection of their physical integrity.

  52. 52.

    CNEM (National Medical Ethics Committee) opinion no. 3 (May 1997) on cloning.

  53. 53.

    CNEM opinion no. 1 (December 1996) on medically assisted reproduction. This concerns supernumerary embryos.

  54. 54.

    CNEM opinion no. 6 (December 2007) on tissues from still-born embryos.

  55. 55.

    C. Meimon Nisenbaum, February 2004: http://www.meimonnisenbaum.com/fr/nos-publications/articles/id-20-le-prejudice-moral-d-victime-indemnisation-trop-rare.

  56. 56.

    CA Paris 28 May 1996. D. 1996 IR 164. See De Villiers, M. (2008). L’avenir incertain du principe de dignité. In Constitutions et pouvoirs. Mélanges en l’honneur de Jean Gicquel, 603. Paris: Montchrestien.

  57. 57.

    Article 83 of the Code of Obligations and Contracts.

  58. 58.

    Article 82 of the same code.

  59. 59.

    AC no. 16955 of 30 March 2009. N. Gmouri heirs versus the Ministry of Public Health.

  60. 60.

    Humanism designates, by extension, any thinking that enhances the development of the essential qualities of human beings.

  61. 61.

    Court of Cassation, civil ruling no. 20241 of 13 March 2008.

  62. 62.

    Tunis Court if First Instance, ruling no. 78657 of 28 June 1993.

  63. 63.

    Court of Cassation, civil ruling no. 20241 of 13 March 2008.

  64. 64.

    Court of Cassation, civil ruling no. 14315 of 5 January 2008.

  65. 65.

    Administrative Court of First Instance, ruling no. 17526 of 30 December 2005 Haraketi. See also Administrative Court of First Instance, ruling of 2 March 2007. Routh. Recueil 2009, 55.

  66. 66.

    Administrative Court of First Instance, ruling of 31 December 2007. Ministry of Health versus Z. Bazzezzi. Comments on: http://www.atds.org.tn/b19.html.

  67. 67.

    See Clément C. (1996). Quelques propos sur le principe du consentement en droit médical et hospitalier. Les petites affiches, 76:6.

  68. 68.

    Tunis Appeal Court no. 95747 of 4 June 2003. Revue de jurisprudence et de législation 2005, 152, note A. Khaldi.

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  1. Faculty of Law and Political Science of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia

    Amel Aouij-Mrad

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  1. University of Rennes, Rennes, France

    Brigitte Feuillet-Liger

  2. Columbia University, New York, USA

    Kristina Orfali

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Aouij-Mrad, A. (2018). The Principle of Human Dignity in Tunisia: Between Political Recuperation and Low Practical Recognition. In: Feuillet-Liger, B., Orfali, K. (eds) The Reality of Human Dignity in Law and Bioethics. Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice, vol 71. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99112-2_12

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