CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION AND THE INVIOLABILITY OF LIFE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

This article critically examines the recognition of conscientious objection related to the inviolability of life in the UK under legislation, judicial decisions and professional codes. It focuses primarily on questions of conscience raised by healthcare practitioners, namely, to participation in abortion, the dispensing of certain forms of emergency contraception, embryo research and fertility treatment, withdrawal of medical treatment from the terminally ill and medical assisted dying. The recognition of these medical conscience claims is compared with protection for conscientious objection to military service. It concludes that critics of conscientious objection in healthcare often make mistaken assumptions about `classical' conscientious objection, especially when comparing professionals with military conscripts and in discussing indirect or complicitous conscience claims. The conclusion discusses attempts to strengthen the recognition of conscientious objection and future prospects.