Respect For The Human Body

Articles 16 and following of the Civil Code

This protection of the human body of the physical person is ensured ” from the beginning of life “

The natural person has the right to respect for his body (article 16-1 of the Civil Code introduced by the law of July 29, 1994). The human body is the very person of the human being in civil law.

The human body is inviolable. Civil law punishes bodily injury through articles 1382s and 1146s.

The human body is also protected by criminal law.

The law prohibits the removal of human organs and human body products from a living person if that person has not given their consent.

The principle of the inviolability of the human body is tempered by the rules concerning emergency surgical interventions.

The natural person has a right to dispose of his body but within irreducible limits. The law of December 20, 1988 fixes the protection of people in medical research.

Case law