Archbishop deplores abortion case ruling

Philip Tartaglia, the Archbishop of Glasgow, has expressed his dismay at a legal ruling against two Catholic midwives who objected to supervising nurses involved in abortion procedures, writes Christopher Lamb.

The UK Supreme Court this week overturned an earlier finding by the Court of Session in Edinburgh in favour of Mary Doogan and Concepta Wood.

They argued that they should be excused from supporting staff involved in terminations and care of women afterwards on the grounds of conscientious objection. They are labour ward coordinators at the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow.

The case hinged on the definition of a clause in the 1967 Abortion Act that “no person shall be under any duty ... to participate in any treatment …to which he has a conscientious objection”.

Last year, the Edinburgh court took a broad view that objecting could be “not only to the actual medical or surgical termination but to the whole process of treatment”.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the scope of conscientious objection covers only the right not to be involved in procedures or treatment that lead to a termination. It rejected the midwives’ claim that their freedom of religion under the Human Rights Act had been breached.

Archbishop Tartaglia said: “This was never a case about the rights and wrongs of abortion or religion. It centred on the right of ordinary citizens to have their conscience respected in society and at work. Society is a poorer, less respectful and less tolerant place as a result of this decision.”