Gillick competence refers to a legal case in England (Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority, 1985) which determined whether doctors should be able to give contraceptive advice or treatment to under 16-year-olds without parental consent. The term has since been more widely used to help assess whether a child has the maturity to make their own decisions and to understand the implications of those decisions.
« Back to Glossary IndexThe ERIC website emerged primarily through a collaboration between the Centre for Children and Young People at Southern Cross University, Australia, and UNICEF’s Office of Research, Innocenti. The website content is based on the following publication: Graham, A., Powell, M.A., Taylor, N., Anderson, D. & Fitzgerald, R. (2013). Ethical Research Involving Children. UNICEF: Florence. (Available in English, français, español, 한국어, Türkçe and Bahasa Indonesia).
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