Slovenia
Protection of Conscience Laws

Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia

Health Services Act
Article 45
Healthcare workers and auxiliary health staff shall perform health services in accordance with approved healthcare doctrine and with a code of medical deontology practice, and/or with other professional and ethical codes of practice. In performing their work they must treat all people under the same conditions in the same manner and respect their constitutional and legal rights. The sole criterion of priority shall be the urgency of medical intervention.
 

Article 5
In pursuing their profession physicians shall, within the limits of their professional capabilities, be fully independent and shall answerable to their own consciences, to their patients and to society for their work.

Article 6
Physicians may not refuse to provide emergency medical assistance appropriate to their professional capabilities, irrespective of whether it is their work duty and whether they have been expressly asked for assistance. .  .

2. Physicians and Patients

Article 14
Physicians shall be obliged to pursue their profession responsibly, professionally, conscientiously and precisely for every patient, irrespective of race, sex, ethnicity, religious persuasion, political convictions, and socio-economic position and irrespective of their personal relationship with the patient or the family thereof.

Physicians shall be free to choose methods and means of treatment, whereby they shall be obliged to consistently take into consideration the achievements of medical science and the principles of professional behaviour.

Physicians shall be obliged to reject any intervention that according to their professional convictions and conscience could be unethical or harmful to the patient.

Article 19
Physicians shall apply and respect the principle of freedom of choice of physician and healthcare institute. They shall therefore endeavour to implement this right of patients.

Article 42
Physicians may refuse to carry out an abortion or sterilisation if it is not in accordance with their beliefs and conscience and it is not a case of emergency medical assistance. They shall be obliged to refer the patient to another capable physician, or must inform the healthcare institute of their refusal in order to ensure the execution of such interventions in accordance with the law.