Conscientious objection and ideological impositions: The Drift of The Mayflower

This article discusses the problematic and evading development of conscientiousobjection in the context of the Colombian constitutional jurisprudence. From a historical allusion to the famous case of the “Mayflower Pilgrims” –which serve as areference to the central problems that faces the objector–, it seeks to define the scopeof conscientious objection as a fundamental right (as a fundamental justice claim)in regard to the “factual” and “legal” possibilities for its exercise, for which there willbe a brief contrast between the most representative cases decided by the ColombianConstitutional Court in such matter. The core of the article is the idea that thereis an ideological prevalence that, unjustifiably, makes it difficult and in some casesdenies the exercise of the right to object in consciousness, particularly when it comes tothe right of life in regard to the abortion case.

“Dishonourable disobedience” – Why refusal to treat in reproductive healthcare is not conscientious objection

In medicine, the vast majority of conscientious objection (CO) is exercised within the reproductive healthcare field – particularly for abortion and contraception. Current laws and practices in various countries around CO in reproductive healthcare show that it is unworkable and frequently abused, with harmful impacts on women's healthcare and rights. CO in medicine is supposedly analogous to CO in the military, but in fact the two have little in common. This paper argues that CO in reproductive health is not actually Conscientious Objection, but Dishonourable Disobedience (DD) to laws and ethical codes. Healthcare professionals who exercise CO are using their position of trust and authority to impose their personal beliefs on patients, who are completely dependent on them for essential healthcare. Health systems and institutions that prohibit staff from providing abortion or contraception services are being discriminatory by systematically denying healthcare services to a vulnerable population and disregarding conscience rights for abortion providers. CO in reproductive healthcare should be dealt with like any other failure to perform one's professional duty, through enforcement and disciplinary measures. Counteracting institutional CO may require governmental or even international intervention.

Fundamental Right to Freedom of Conscience without Objection? Some Notes for its Recognition as a Fundamental Guarantee

Conscientious objection is defined as the ability to depart from statutory mandates because of intimate convictions based on ethical or religious convictions. A discussion of this issue presents the conflict between the idea of a State concerned with the promotion of individual rights or the protection of general interests and an idea of law based on the maintenance of order and against a view of the law as a means to claim the protection of minimum conditions of the person. From this conflict is drawn the possibility to argue whether conscientious objection should be guaranteed as a fundamental right of freedom of conscience or as a statutory authority legislatively conferred upon persons. This paper sets out a discussion around the two views so as to develop a position that is more consistent with the context of social and constitutional law.

Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada: An Ethical Analysis of Conscientious and Religious Objections

Article

Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada: An Ethical Analysis of Conscientious and Religious Objections

Article

Document sobre l'objecció de consciència en sanitat

Aquest document parteix del reconeixement del principi d'autonomia de les personesi de la llibertat de consciència, ideològica i religiosa. I precisament per això exposael risc que, en la pràctica sanitària, l'exercici de l'objecció de consciència pugui fercol·lisió amb els drets dels usuaris. Per aquesta raó, l'Administració i les diversesinstitucions involucrades, han de prendre les mesures necessàries per facilitar la compatibilitat de l'exercici dels drets i les decisions de totes les persones implicades.

Document sobre l'objecció de consciència en sanitat

Aquest document parteix del reconeixement del principi d'autonomia de les personesi de la llibertat de consciència, ideològica i religiosa. I precisament per això exposael risc que, en la pràctica sanitària, l'exercici de l'objecció de consciència pugui fercol·lisió amb els drets dels usuaris. Per aquesta raó, l'Administració i les diversesinstitucions involucrades, han de prendre les mesures necessàries per facilitar la compatibilitat de l'exercici dels drets i les decisions de totes les persones implicades.

O direito fundamental à liberdade de consciência em discussão: ética e experimentação didático-científica em animais nas universidades

O reconhecimento pela Ciência de que os animais são seres sencientes e conscientes propiciou o surgimento das teorias morais que chamamos de direito animal, bem como o desenvolvimento de alternativas técnicas ao uso de animais, sobretudo na educação. Neste cenário, estudantes de biomédicas se recusam à realização de experimentação animal, baseados no direito à objeção de consciência protegido pela Constituição da República Federativa Brasileira de 1988, que, contudo, tem sido negado pelos tribunais. Este trabalho tem por objetivo, através do estudo de casos, apresentar que as premissas e os fundamentos em que se apoiam os tribunais para negar a objeção de consciência são questionáveis do ponto de vista jurídico, tendo em vista o sentido da objeção de consciência e hermenêutico, pela aplicação do princípio da força normativa da constituição e do princípio da proporcionalidade.

E' possibile giustificare moralmente l'obiezione di coscienza in campo medico?

Scopo di questa tesi di dottorato è stabilire se l’obiezione di coscienza in ambito medico sia moralmente giustificabile. Esistono essenzialmente tre tipi di rifiuto motivati dall’obiezione di coscienza (1) rifiuto di informare un paziente relativamente alle opzioni terapeutiche come ad esempio l’uso di un contraccettivo di emergenza o l’interruzione volontaria di gravidanza (2) rifiuto di rinviare un paziente che chiede un particolare intervento (o terapia) presso un collega non obiettore (3) rifiuto di svolgere in prima persona una certa attività richiesta dal paziente Per rispondere a questo interrogativo si è svolta un’analisi filosofico-morale dei principali argomenti utilizzati dalla letteratura su questo tema per giustificare o per negare un diritto morale all’obiezione di coscienza degli operatori sanitari. Il diritto degli operatori sanitari all’integrità morale e a non essere complici di attività ritenute immorali dev’essere infatti confrontato con il diritto dei pazienti ad avere un’assistenza sanitaria efficiente, a poter compiere scelte autonome riguardo alla propria salute e ad essere informati relativamente a tutte le opzioni terapeutiche disponibili. Nel corso dell’intero lavoro è stato dimostrato come suddetti diritti dei pazienti sono facilmente e frequentemente violati a causa dell’incidenza dell’obiezione di coscienza in ambito medico. L’analisi condotta nel corso del lavoro di tesi si concentra fondamentalmente su quattro importanti aspetti del problema quali diritto all’integrità morale dell’ operatore sanitario, obblighi professionali, cooperazione al male e laicità dello stato. Alla fine del lavoro di analisi si è giunti alla conclusione che: le obiezioni di tipo (1) e (2) non sono mai moralmente giustificabili perché comportano sempre una violazione dei diritti fondamentali del paziente. Le obiezioni di coscienza di tipo (3) sono moralmente accettabili solo quando non impongono un peso eccessivo al paziente, vale a dire quando il rinvio presso un collega non obiettore è veloce, sicuro e agevole. Tuttavia le condizioni ideali in cui vengono rispettati i criteri minimi di ammissibilità dell’obiezione di coscienza di tipo (3) non si verificano quasi mai nella realtà dei fatti (per ragioni ampiamente spiegate nel corso del lavoro), per cui tali obiezioni risultano in pratica solo raramente accettabili da un punto d vista morale.

The Evolution of Media Coverage of Historical Sports Controversies

This thesis will cover sports controversies throughout the 20th Century in the context of the media’s newspaper coverage of the events. The 1919 Black Sox Scandal, the debate over American participation in the 1936 Olympics, and Muhammad Ali’s conversion to the Nation of Islam, standing as a notorious public figure, and conscientious objection to the Vietnam War will represent the three sports controversies. The media’s adherence to cultural norms is clear in all three cases. The consistent devotion to the cultural and racial atmosphere of their respective eras was constant and helped to perpetuate accepted, mainstream cultural attitudes. Cultural and racial norms were followed in the coverage of the three discussed controversies. The anti-Semitism and racially intolerant sentiments in America during great waves of immigration in the early 1900s allowed for journalists to freely vilify Jews as corrupters of baseball and the ballplayers who were rumored to have thrown the 1919 World Series. The white ballplayers were supported in the press, who protected their own and blamed outsiders. Jim Crow and the Americanization movement forced African American and Jewish newspapers to limit their journalistic bias on both sides of the debate over American participation in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The white, mainstream press was void of bias as the spirit of isolationism in America triumphed over journalist’s leanings in the Olympic debate. The racial tension created by the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s created an atmosphere that allowed mainstream journalists to heap endless criticism on Muhammad Ali as he gained fame. By portraying him as a villain of society as both a religious radical and traitor to America, journalists created a common enemy in the minds of white America. In all three cases, a pattern of journalists expressing the state of cultural and racial norms of the era is present and significant.

Problemáticas éticas y legales en la salud reproductiva: responsabilidades en los servicios de salud y objeción de conciencia

Traducido de: Cook, R.J, M. Arango Olaya y B. M. Dickens. Healthcare Responsibilities and Conscientious Objection. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2009

T-388/2009. Objeción de conciencia y aborto: una perspectiva global sobre la experiencia colombiana

Disponible la versión en español y en inglés.

Objeção da consciência e aborto previsto em lei : vivências em um serviço público de saúde

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Enfermagem, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, 2015.