This paper examines a legal case arising from a workplace grievance that progressed to being heard at the UK's Supreme Court. The case of Doogan and Wood versus Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board concerned two senior midwives in Scotland, both practicing Roman Catholics, who exercised their perceived rights in accordance with section 4(1) of the Abortion Act not to participate in the treatment of women undergoing abortions. The key question raised by this case was: "Is Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board entitled to require the midwives to delegate, supervise and support staff in the treatment of patients undergoing termination of pregnancy?" The ethical issues concerning conscientious objection to abortion have been much debated although the academic literature is mainly concerned with the position of medical practitioners rather than what the World Health Organization terms "mid-level professionals" such as midwives. This paper examines the arguments put forward by the midwives to justify their refusal to carry out tasks they felt contravened their legal right to make a conscientious objection. We then consider professional codes, UK legislation and church legislation. While the former are given strong weighting the latter was been ignored in this case, although cases in other European countries have been prevented from escalating to such a high level by the intervention of prominent church figures. The paper concludes by stating that the question put to the courts remains as yet unanswered but offers some recommendations for future policy making and research.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10730-019-09378-4 | DOI Listing |
J Relig Ethics
March 2024
Institute of Philosophy at Jagiellonian University in Kraków (Poland) and head of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Ethics at Jagiellonian University, where he leads the project BIOUNCERTAINTY funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant.
A dogma accepted in many ethical, religious, and legal frameworks is that the reasons behind conscientious objection (CO) in healthcare cannot be evaluated or judged by any institution because conscience is individual and autonomous. This paper shows that this background view is mistaken: the requirement to reveal and explain the reasons for conscientious objection in healthcare is ethically justified and legally desirable. Referring to real healthcare cases and legal regulations, this paper argues that these reasons should be evaluated either ex ante or ex post and defends novel conceptual claims that have not been analyzed in the debates on CO.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Psychol (Amst)
January 2025
Department of [Neurology], First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, No. 287, Chang huai Road, Zhihua Street, Long zi hu District, Bengbu City, Anhui Province, China.
Objective: To investigate the different categories of benefit finding among caregivers of patients with ischemic stroke and the mechanisms of personality and coping styles using an individual-centered approach.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 235 caregivers of patients with ischemic stroke in the neurology departments of three tertiary hospitals in Bengbu using the revised Inventory of Illness Benefit, the Short Form of the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory, and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire.
Results: The benefit finding of caregivers of patients with ischemic stroke could be categorized into three latent classes: "Low sense of benefit-low personal growth group " (n = 58, 24.
Int J Womens Health
January 2025
Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
Purpose: While several studies demonstrate an association between reproductive coercion or a lack of reproductive autonomy and decreased mental health in women, little is known about potential mental health impacts when women are denied prescription contraceptives. The aim of this research was to explore associations between prescription contraceptive denial and perceived ease of future access to contraception, and self-assessed mental health.
Patients And Methods: Polish women (N=424) completed an anonymous online survey with demographic questions; perceived stress (PSS-10), state anxiety (STAI-X1), and depression (CESD-R) assessments, and contraceptive access questions.
J Law Med
November 2024
Associate Professor, Monash University Faculty of Law; Deputy Director, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law.
This article analyses qualitative empirical research conducted by this author to gain a deeper understanding of the rationale behind conscientious objection (CO) to voluntary assisted dying (VAD) and its impact on the operation of VAD in Victoria, Australia. It begins by providing an overview of the Australian legal approach to CO in the context of VAD. It then discusses the spectrum of attitudes that exist towards VAD, illuminating some of the nuance and complexity of the individual and institutional approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedicina (Kaunas)
December 2024
Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Gynecology and Obstetrics, 'Maggiore della Carità' Hospital, 28100 Novara, Italy.
: Conscientious objection to voluntary abortion remains a hot debate topic. This could affect the accessibility to pregnancy termination. Our aim is to evaluate the possible aspects related to an operators' choice about objection for voluntary abortion, such as the following: the abolition of the time limit, the instruction of a multi-collegiate commission, the introduction of pharmacological rather than surgical procedures, the fetal/maternal illness and the case of sexual violence.
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