Scottish Catholic Observer

TWO Glasgow Catholic midwives went to the Supreme Court on Tuesday to defend their right to work without being involved in abortions.

Mary Doogan and Connie Wood are senior midwives who between them have helped to deliver around 10,000 babies over the past 25 years, yet NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde took them to Britain’s highest court this week. The health board is appealing against a decision of the Court of Session in Edinburgh last year to uphold the midwives right to conscientiously object to be involved in any way in the abortion process, including their right not to supervise other staff involved.

At stake in this case is the scope of the right to conscientious objection under the Abortion Act 1967, which provides that ‘no person shall be under any duty… to participate in any treatment authorised by this Act to which he has a conscientious objection.’

Lady Hale, Lord Wilson, Lord Reed, Lord Hughes and Lord Hodge heard legal arguments on Tuesday and are expected to rule on the health board’s appeal in the new year and Catholics across Scotland have been praying that the right of the midwives to follow their conscience will be upheld.

Hundreds of the faithful attended a Mass at St Joseph’s, Clarkston, last week, where Bishop John Keenan of Paisley spoke passionately in the midwives defence. Fr Jim Duggan, parish priest of St Joseph’s said it was ‘a wonderful, prayerful, hopeful atmosphere, that showed the real support there is for these two women.’

Last April’s appeal victory for the midwives overturned a ruling against them in 2012 in their action against NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

As conscientious objectors, the women have had no direct role in pregnancy terminations and they objected to orders that they should also have to delegate, supervise and support staff involved in the procedures or providing care to patients during the process. The health board argues that conscientious objection is a right only to refuse to take part in activities that directly bring about the termination of a pregnancy.

The women were employed as labour ward co-ordinators at Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. At the time of the original ruling, Ms Doogan had been absent from work due to ill health since March 2010 and Ms Wood had been transferred to other work.

Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow said the women’s legal victory last April was a ‘victory for freedom of conscience and for common sense.’

The midwives have also been supported by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC).

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—Read the full version of this story in November 14 edition of the SCO in parishes from Friday

Pic: Paul McSherry