European Court of Human Rights · 7 July 1989
Gaskin v United Kingdom
In plain English
A man who grew up in local authority care was refused parts of his care records because some contributors would not consent. The Court found a violation: an independent authority had to be able to decide on access when a contributor did not answer or refused consent.
What the court ruled
In the Court's opinion, persons in the situation of the applicant have a vital interest, protected by the Convention, in receiving the information necessary to know and to understand their childhood and early development.
Holds by eleven votes to six that there has been a violation of Article 8
Related
The official text is quoted word for word from the English version of the source named under it; only the version published in the court’s own records is authoritative. The plain-English line is Fino’s own summary, not legal advice.