uphold : 支持, 維持 transfusion: 輸血

The Supreme Court of Canada has decided that a Manitoba law that forced a teenage Jehovah's Witness to have a blood transfusion is

constitutional. Jehovah's Witness : 耶和華見證人(相信世界末日在即的教派,入該教者才可免受懲罰) constitutional : 符合憲法的

On Friday, the court released its decision in the case of a teenage girl, identified only as A.C., who has been fighting the Manitoba Child

and Family Services Act, which allowed child welfare officials to order a blood transfusion for her three years ago.

In April 2006, the 14-year-old A.C. found herself in hospital suffering from internal bleeding caused by Crohn's disesase.

Crohn's disease ( CD )是發生在人類的慢性炎症性腸道疾病

The devout Jehovah's Witness and her family did not want her to have a blood transfusion because of their religious beliefs.

A.C. had also previously signed an advance medical directive making it clear she did not want to be given blood under any circumstances.

devout : 虔誠的 directive : 指令

But because her doctor believed internal bleeding posed serious health risks for her, Manitoba's Child and Family Services moved to

apprehend her and sought a court order for her to receive a blood transfusion. pose : 造成,引起 apprehend : 逮捕 court order : 法院命令

In Manitoba, 16 is a legal cut-off age for medical decision-making, which allowed provincial child welfare officials to convince a court

that treatment was in her "best interests." cut-off : 截止, 停止點

A.C. was 16 months away from that cut-off when the decision was made to give her three units of blood, which her lawyers had agued violate

her Charter rights. charter : 憲章

The Jehovah's Witness later brought the matter to the Supreme Court, which released its decision on Friday.

In a 6-1 decision, the court upheld the constitutionality of the Manitoba Child and Family Services Act, but said courts must consider

the maturity and decision-making abilities of minors when ruling on enforced treatment. constitutionality : 符合憲法,合法性 minor : 未成年人

In short, the decision said minors should be given the opportunity to show that they are capable of making their own medical decisions,

though they may be overruled by the court if their lives are in danger.