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A health authority published a policy that children under 16 could be given contraceptives without parental consent.
Mrs Gillick, a mother of 5 daughters, took a test case to court to challenge this. Her argument that the consent of a child
below 16 years was not valid unless the parents consented. The House of Lords (the highest court in England)
ruled in favor of the health authority. It based its ruling on competence of the girl. If she was competent enough to understand
the issues involved, she could get contraceptives from a doctor without parental involvement.
As a result of the judgment, ‘Fraser Guidelines’ were issued allowing the doctor to keep his encounter
with the child confidential and not to disclose it to parents except in cases in which the contraceptive was sought in connection
with incest, sexual exploitation, or sexual abuse.
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