(Scotland) Catholic Midwives Fight in Court for Conscientious Objection in Abortion

Country: United Kingdom
Category: Discrimination
Attack against: Morals
Nature of attack: Governmental
Tags: Freedom of Conscience

January 2012: Scotland's largest health board has been taken to court by two Catholic nurses from Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, Mary Doogan and Connie Wood, who were denied conscientious objections with regard to abortion procedures.

The right of midwives to refuse to participate in abortions on the basis of their religious beliefs is explicitly protected by the 1967 Abortion Act, and has historically been respected by the hospital.

However, the hospital recently changed its stance by imposing an obligation on midwives to watch over, and sometimes assist, with late abortions, which were frequently being transferred from the gynaecology department to the labour ward.

Sources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-16596605

http://www.christianconcern.com/our-concerns/abortion/midwives-take-hospital-to-court-to-defend-conscience

http://www.christian.org.uk/news/midwives-claim-nhs-ignored-abortion-objections/

http://www.spuc.org.uk/news/releases/2012/january17


Share |