Protection of Conscience Project
Protection of Conscience Project
www.consciencelaws.org
Service, not Servitude

Service, not Servitude

General Legal Commentary

The commentaries provided on the website are not a substitute for legal advice provided by a qualified professional. 


Institutional freedom of conscience in relation to euthanasia and assisted suicide

  • Sean Murphy | The subject of this paper is an institution's refusal to provide or facilitate euthanasia/assisted suicide (EAS) for reasons of conscience: the exercise of preservative freedom of conscience. This typically reflects desire to preserve institutional moral integrity by refusing to be complicit in, cooperate in or otherwise support or encourage the killing of patients, and a desire to prevent harm to others. Institutional religious integrity is not addressed. . .  continue reading

Protecting the Careers of Medical Professionals Who Believe in the Hippocratic Oath

  • Wesley J. Smith  | . . . Opposition to protecting the right of conscience has suddenly grown so intense that it is easy to foresee physicians, nurses, and pharmacists who hold to the orthodox understanding of the Hippocratic Oath being forced out of medicine altogether . . . continue reading

When doctors say No
A law professor defends physicians' right to conscientious objection

  • Michael Quinlan | As abortion, euthanasia and other controversial procedures become more widespread, conscientious objection for healthcare workers is becoming a flashpoint for controversy throughout the Western world. Some doctors and ethicists have argued that conscientious objection itself is unethical because doctors are required to fulfil any legal request that their patients make. MercatorNet interviewed Professor Michael Quinlan, dean of the law school at the Sydney campus of the University of Notre Dame Australia, about this contentious issue. He has just published an article on the situation in Australian jurisdictions. . . continue reading