In France, a law passed on July 29, 1994, requires that medical care b
e given only with the informed consent of the patient. This law states
that only when an individual's health requires medical action is it w
arranted to violate the integrity of the human body, and that even the
n the consent of the individual should be obtained whenever possible.
The place of informed consent in the judicial structure and logic is d
iscussed. Difficulties raised by the concept of informed consent in a
number of situations are pointed out, and suggestions for solutions ar
e made.