 The High Court found that obtaining consent from the women when they were in labour or in extreme pain could not constitute informed consent.For it to be valid, consent must be clear and unequivocal and be given freely and voluntarily and not induced by fear, fraud or force.The Court held that written consent does not automatically equate to informed consent as the women did not understand what they were signing, and so the fact that the women had signed a consent form could not absolve the hospitals from responsibility.