Rape and Forced-feeding: a Legal Discussion

Footnotes

[1] Not simply individual men, but including the patriarchy demonstrated by authoritative institutions.

[2] DPP v Morgan [1976] AC 182 – a facet of rape law currently under review.

[3] S.1 (2) Sexual Offences Act 1956 (as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 s.142, refers to a man committing rape if (a) he has sexual intercourse…  Intercourse is defined by s.44 of the 1956 Act as being ‘complete upon proof of penetration’.

[4] Including inter alia stranger, acquaintance, date and marital rape.

[5] Kennedy H., Eve was Framed  (1992) Chatto and Windus, London p.120

[6] Loizidou E., ‘The Trouble With Rape: Gender Matters And Legal ‘Transformations’’ Feminist Legal Studies 7 [1999] 275 p.292

[7] Barnett H., Introduction to Feminist Jurisprudence (1998) Cavendish, London p.276

[8] Naffine N., ‘Possession: Erotic Love in the Law of Rape’ 57 (1994) MLR 10 p.10

[9] Kennedy H., op. cit.  p.111

[10] Naffine N., op. cit. p.16

[11] ibid p.19

[12] A notion supported by popular ‘romantic fiction;’ particularly the romance portrayed by publishers such as Mills and Boon

[13] Smart C., ‘Law’s Truth/Women’s Experience’ in Graycar R.,  (ed) Dissenting Opinions: Feminist Explorations in Law and Society  (1990) Allen & Unwin,Sydney p.14

[14] [1981] 73 Cr. App. R. 344

[15] Dunn LJ quoting from Day (1841) 9 C & P 722 at 724 per Coleridge J.

[16]MacKinnon C., A., ‘Feminism, Marxism, Method and the State: Toward Feminist Jurisprudence’ (1983) Signs 635 pp. 649-650 cited in Bridgeman J., and Millns S., Feminist Perspectives on Law: Law’s engagement with the female body (1998) Sweet and Maxwell, London p.441

[17] Bridgeman J., and Millns S., op. cit.  p.442

[18] A literary example is Hardy’s Tess who is ‘seduced/raped’ by Alec her employer/family benefactor. Hardy T., Tess of the DuUrbervilles (1998 – first published 1891) Penguin Classics, London Chpt. X1

[19] [1991] WLR 767, recognising marital rape.

[20] Laird V., ‘Reflections of R v R’  (1992) 55 MLR 386 p.391

[21] Carter A., The Sadeian Woman: An Exercise in Cultural History (1979) Virago, London p.9. 

[22] Consideration is given later to the possibility that it is actually ‘male’ honour that she is asked to defend.

[23] R v Brown [1994] 1 AC 212

[24] Keywood K., ‘My Body and Other Stories: Anorexia Nervosa and the Legal Politics of Embodiment’ (2000) 9 Social and Legal Studies 495 p.500

[25] Male anorexics exist, however, the courts have not dealt with an application to force feed a male.  Sheldon suggests, that male autonomy could only be overruled by first feminising the man. See Sheldon S., ‘ “A Responsible Body of Medical Men Skilled in that Particular Art…”: Rethinking the Bolan Test’ in Sheldon S., and Thomson M., (eds) Feminist Perspectives on Health Care Law (1998) Cavendish, London p.15

[26] Forced-feeding by naso-gastic tube has been declared medical treatment, Airedale NHS Trust v Bland [1993] 3 WLR 316.

[27] The World Health Organisation lists anorexia as a mental disorder.

[28] B v Croydon HA [1995] 1 ALL ER 683

[29] Applications are generally made under the Mental Health Act 1983 but Authorities can seek a common law ruling of ‘lack of capacity’.

[30] Airedale NHS Trust v Bland [1993] 3 WLR 316.

[31] Such as obesity, alcoholism, drug and tobacco abuse.

[32] Where females such as the Suffragettes have gone on hunger strike, they have treated in much the same way as anorexics.

[33] One exception to this rule was the case of Ian Brady who was denied the right to starve himself to death. R v Collins Ex parte Brady [2000] Lloyd’s Rep. Med. 355

[34] Secretary of State for the Home Department v Robb [1995] 1 ALL ER 677

[35] Riverside Mental Health NHS Trust v Fox [1994] 1 FLR 614

[36] Bridgeman J., and Millns S., op. cit.  p.563

[37] Good/bad, male/female, Madonna/whore, sane/insane

[38] Bridgeman J., ‘They Gag Women, Don’t They?’ in Bridgeman J., and Millns S., (eds) Law and Body Politics  (1995) Dartmouth, Aldershot p.26

[39] Morgan D., ‘Surrogacy: An Introductory Essay’ in Lee R., and Morgan D., (eds.) Birthrights: Law and Ethics at the Beginning of Life (1989) Routledge, London pp.55-56

[40] Re KB (adult,mental patient medical treatment) (1994) 19 BMLR 144 at 144, per Ewbank J.

[41] Stewart M., W., Dobbin S., A., & Gatowski S., I., ‘Definitions of Rape: Victims, Police and Prosecutors’ (1996) 4 Feminist Legal Studies 159 at 160 cited in Bridgeman J., and Millns S., op. cit.  p.392

42 Starvation is the earliest fear of man, and as it is suggested that the basis for this accepted ‘norm’ is primordial, the dangers from obesity and alcohol etc., have not evolved into instinctive responses.

Bibliography

Barnett H., Introduction to Feminist Jurisprudence (1998) Cavendish, London

Bridgeman J., and Millns S., (eds) Law and Body Politics  (1995) Dartmouth, Aldershot

Bridgeman J., and Millns S., Feminist Perspectives on Law: Law’s engagement with the female body (1998) Sweet and Maxwell, London

Carter A., The Sadeian Woman: An Exercise in cultural History (1979) Virago, London

Duncan S., ‘Law as Literature: Deconstructing the legal text’ Law and Critique vol. V no. 1  3

Foucault M., The Will to Knowledge; The History of Sexuality (1) (1998) Penguin, London

Graycar R.,  (ed) Dissenting Opinions: Feminist Explorations in Law and Society  (1990) Allen & Unwin,Sydney

Hardy T., Tess of the DuUrbervilles (1998 – first published 1891) Penguin Classics, London

Jefferson T., ‘The Tyson Rape Trial: The Law, Feminism And Emotional ‘Truth’’ Social and Legal Studies [1997] vol. 6 281

Kennedy H., Eve was Framed  (1992) Chatto and Windus, London

Keywood K., ‘My Body and Other Stories: Anorexia Nervosa and the Legal Politics of Embodiment’ (2000) 9 Social and Legal Studies 495

Laird V., ‘Reflections of R v R’  (1992) 55 MLR  386

Loizidou E., ‘The Trouble With Rape: Gender Matters And Legal ‘Transformations’’ Feminist Legal Studies 7 [1999] 275

Morgan D., ‘Surrogacy: An Introductory Essay’ in Lee R., and Morgan D., (eds.) Birthrights: Law and Ethics at the Beginning of Life (1989) Routledge, London pp.55-56

Naffine N., ‘Possession: Erotic Love in the Law of Rape’ 57 (1994) MLR  10

Rumney P., and Morgan-Taylor M., ‘Recognizing The Male Victim: Gender Neutrality and The Law of Rape: Part One’ Anglo-American Law Review  [1997] vol. 26 198

Rumney P., and Morgan-Taylor M., ‘Recognizing The Male Victim: Gender Neutrality and The Law of Rape: Part Two’ Anglo-American Law Review [1997] vol. 26 330

Sheldon S., and Thomson M., (eds) Feminist Perspectives on Health Care Law (1998) Cavendish, London

Smart C., Law, Crime and Sexuality  (1995) Sage, London

Williams M., ‘ “Is Alex a Rapist?” –Cultural Connotations Of ‘Rape’ and ‘Seduction’ – A reply to Professor John Sutherland’ Feminist Legal Studies [1999] vol. 7 299

Case List

DPP v Morgan [1976] AC 182  

R v Olugboja [1981] 73 Cr. App. R. 344

Day (1841) 9 C & P 722

R v R [1991] WLR 767

R v Brown [1994] 1 AC 212     

Airedale NHS Trust v Bland [1993] 3 WLR 316.

B v Croydon HA [1995] 1 ALL ER 683  

R v Collins Ex parte Brady [2000] Lloyd’s Rep. Med. 355

Secretary of State for the Home Department v Robb [1995] 1 ALL ER 677

Riverside Mental Health NHS Trust v Fox [1994] 1 FLR 614

Re KB (adult, mental patient medical treatment) (1994) 19 BMLR 144