DOI: https://doi.org/10.25040/medicallaw2020.02.024

Med. pravo., 2020; 2(26): 24-33

UDС: 342.7

Bohomazova Iryna Oleksandrivna

Candidate of Law, Associate Professor of Medical Law FPDO of Lviv National Medical University named after Danylo Halytsky

Balancing the doctors’ right to respect for Business reputation
with the public’s right to freedom of expression (Based on the case
law of the european court of human rights)

The article covers the issue of dissemination of negative information about
the doctor on the example of the European Court of Human Rights case law.
It has been emphasized on the circumstances in which it seems possible to
strike a fair balance between a doctors’ right to protect their business reputation and the freedom of expression of others. It has been established that the business reputation of the doctors is closely related to the ethical norms of their behavior.
Dissemination of negative information, in particular, about the doctor is
one of the manifestations of freedom of expression. However, it is important to
remember that such negative information shall be true; otherwise, this activ-
ity would not comply with the law.
In the case of a restriction of a person’s right to freedom of expression, the
European Court of Human Rights proposes to take into account the following
factors: whether such a restriction was based on law, whether it pursued one
or more legitimate aims and whether it was necessary in a democratic soci-
ety to achieve those aims.
Of course, the dissemination of negative information about a doctor affects
his or her business reputation, but in order to achieve a fair balance between
competing interests in this area (provided that such information was true) the
public interest will prevail, because the dissemination of health information
is of particular interest for the public.
A fair balance in these relations will also provide such circumstances as:
good faith and ethical behavior of those who publish negative information, the
way the material is presented, the validity of the information disseminated,
the real ability of the doctor to respond to these allegations.

Key words: business reputation of a doctor, dissemination of information,
European Court of Human Rights.

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