High Court rules prisoner can freeze eggs in jail
Rachel Smith, serving a decade for drug trafficking, won approval to freeze her eggs while in prison.
The High Court found in favour of Smith, who will be 39 when eligible for parole and 41 when her full sentence ends. Corrections Queensland had blocked the request, arguing egg freezing counted as banned "assisted reproductive technology".
Smith challenged the ruling in lower courts, which rejected her case, then appealed to Australia's highest court. The High Court concluded the state courts had misread the law.
Justice Jayne Jagot told Corrections to reconsider her application soon and pay her legal costs. The court's decision protects Smith's right to preserve her eggs while in prison.
- 10 years
- Sentence length
- 39
- Parole eligibility age
- 41
- Full sentence completion age
- Corrective Services Act 2006
- Relevant legislation
Why it mattersThe ruling protects prisoners' rights over their own bodies and limits how states can block medical care.
AustraliaAustralian prison systems must now reconsider policies blocking fertility treatments for inmates, affecting how Queensland and other states apply existing legislation.
Corroborated bysmh.com.au·theage.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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