CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION RELATED TO THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN LIFE: POLAND

In Poland, under, the Constitutional Court's case law, the guarantees of freedom of conscience are considered directly applicable and understood as encompassing in particular the freedom to act in accordance with one's conscience and the freedom from being constrained to act against the conscience. The ordinary legislation implements the specific constitutional conscience clause in respect of military service and contains also detailed conscience clauses applicable to physicians, dentists, nurses and midwives. The ordinary and administrative courts adopt a cautious approach and usually refrain from applying directly the Constitution as source of a conscience clause, although some judgments show a high sensitivity to the necessity of protecting the conscientious objection.