Catholic hospital could be forced to perform gender-affirming surgery
The University of Maryland St Joseph Medical Center violated federal law when it refused to provide gender-affirming surgical care to a transgender man (ie, a...
World Medical Association protects conscientious objection by rejecting mandatory referral
Principled conscientious objection (CO) for health care workers is under threat from laws in several jurisdictions around the world. A number of prominent bioethicists have...
Should institutions enjoy freedom of conscience?
One of the most difficult issues in contemporary bioethics is “institutional freedom of conscience”. Should a healthcare facilities or nursing homes in a liberal democracy...
Conscientious objection is ‘indefensible’, says WHO
The latest abortion care guidelines from the World Health Organization severely criticise conscientious objection (CO) as a major obstacle to making abortion freely available. “Conscientious...
Ecuador’s President vows to veto abortion bill
The new president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, declared this week that he will veto a bill that Congress is debating to regulate abortion in cases...
European Parliament opposes conscientious objection to abortion
The election of Roberta Metsola as president of the European Parliament has revived a debate on its position on abortion. She is the youngest-ever President...
Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection
Right sentiment, wrong country: a demonstration in Buenos Aires in 2020 The Spanish government is considering measures to restrict conscientious objection for doctors. An editorial...
Pope Francis insists on right to conscientious objection for abortion refuseniks
Pope Francis Health workers have a non-negotiable right to conscientious objection if they are asked to participate in an abortion, Pope Francis told a conference of...
Mexico’s Supreme Court dismantles conscientious objection
The Supreme Court of Mexico is dismantling the right of doctors to conscientious objection, after its recent decision that the states must decriminalise abortion. In its decision...
Canada’s politicians go MIA in debate over conscientious objection for doctors
Conservatives decline to defend their own position Conscientious objection to abortion and euthanasia has emerged as an election issue in Canada’s 2021 federal election –...
Bioethicists joust over Canada’s ‘Medical Aid in Dying’
Journal of Medical Ethics features sparring views Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash The debate in Canada over euthanasia and assisted suicide – or,...