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Some sanity: Reason prevails (for now) in a case of conscience

Some sanity: Reason prevails (for now) in a case of conscience

Adam J. MacLeod

Good news comes out of California in the case reported in the NBP last week. A state court judge had indicated that he will not coerce a Catholic hospital to perform a sterilization procedure that violates Roman Catholic moral doctrine. That judge has now affirmed his earlier ruling, denying a request for an injunction that would have compelled the hospital to violate the conscience of those who operate the hospital.

The plaintiff, Rebecca Chamorro, asked the judge to require the hospital to perform the procedure on the ground that refusing to do it would constitute sex discrimination. The judge observed that the hospital's policies prohibit hospital employees from performing sterilization of both men and women, consistent with Catholic teaching, and sensibly reasoned that refusing to participate in Chamorro's sterilization was therefore not discrimination on the basis of sex.

Injuring the health of the legal profession
Blogs

Injuring the health of the legal profession

Adam J. MacLeod

Earlier I wrote about a ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada conscripting Canadian lawyers and judges into the machinery of assisted suicide. I ended with the assessment that lawyers and judges will be litigating and deciding which human beings will be entitled to the protection of the laws against homicide and which are worthy of being killed. Where a doctor is willing to assist a suicide but only if he is exempt from criminal punishment for doing so, the judgments in those cases will be but-for causes of the unjust deaths of the patients killed.

Does this mean that conscientious lawyers and judges in Canada (and Oregon, Washington …) must resign their offices to preserve the integrity of their conscience? I think it depends upon the legal standard adopted to determine who is eligible for the exemption from criminal law.

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