General Legal Commentary
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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. . .
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