Doctors should make any pro-life views clear, says ethics expert

Women will have to ask their doctor’s views on abortion if changes to the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill demanded by medical ethicist Dr Donal O’Mathuna are made.

Dr O’Mathuna said the referral dimension of the proposed legislation needed to make it very clear that a pro-life doctor would not have to refer a patient to another doctor who was pro-choice.

He said doctors should be able to make a conscientious objection, not just to performing an abortion, but to indirectly helping a woman gain access to an abortion in another way.

Dr O’Mathuna said a pro-life doctor should make it very clear to the woman that there were other doctors available, but leave it to her to make the decision.

The a senior lecturer in ethics, decision-making, and evidence at Dublin City University, was one of a number of speakers at a meeting in Dublin yesterday organised by the Iona Institute, a religious advocacy group. He also said the heads of the bill should be changed to allow institutions as well as individuals to make a conscientious objection to abortion.

Dr O’Mathuna said the onus should be on the institution to make it clear about the issue that they would not get involved in for moral reasons because they were contrary to their vision and values.

Earlier, moral theologian and chairman of the board of the Iona Institute, Dr John Murray, said he welcomed Fianna Fáil’s decision to have a free vote on the proposed legislation.

“The party whip cannot exempt a legislator from the obligation to follow their conscience, nor should it be used to try to force them to act against their conscience.

“Legislators are responsible for making laws that serve the common good, laws that promote justice, laws that protect the innocent and vulnerable. So legislators need to know what justice is and promote only just laws. They must inform their consciences properly on this point.”

Dr Murray said politicians who believed abortion was a grave injustice should follow through on that. He also said those who put themselves in a “grey area” needed to look at the issue again more carefully.

“Even if you abstain from voting, it is going to have an effect to an extent. So politicians need to look at the facts; read up on it; think it through; get their thoughts as clear as possible; talk to others. That is what conscience does; it finds itself being informed by others, by the best views it can get and then coming to a conclusion.”