1.   Each patient provided written consent after being fully informed about the study and the freedom to withdraw.

2.   Are there limitations on the classes of person who may give consent?

3.   Are there any forms of behaviour to which the law provides that consent cannot be given?

4.   Among the thorniest issues to be decided is exactly how parents are to provide consent to the Web site operators.

5.   The hospital has argued throughout the litigation that the women signed forms that provided consent to the urine tests and validated the sharing of the information with the police.

6.   They said all of the residents had consented to the transfers, although they did not say how the residents had been able to provide meaningful consent.