Catholic midwives win right to object over abortion planning in Scotland
Scottish court of appeal permits conscientious objection 'to the whole process of treatment' in terminations
Severin Carrell, Scotland correspondent
The Guardian, Wednesday 24 April 2013 12.38 EDT
Two Roman Catholic midwives have won the right to refuse to help with any abortion procedures or planning after an appeal court ruling in Scotland.
Judges in Edinburgh ruled that Mary Doogan, 58, and Concepta Wood, 52, who worked as labour ward co-ordinators in Glasgow, had a legal right to consciously object to helping with abortions in any way.
The ruling, which could be appealed against by Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board, may have wide ramifications for the NHS and other health staff who oppose abortions on religious grounds.
The midwives, practising Catholics, had lost a previous case against the board after a judge ruled that working on ward planning or delegating staff did not involve actually carrying out abortions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/24/catholic-midwives-win-right-object-abortion-scotland
