Service, not Servitude
An appeal against the judgement of the BC Supreme Court in Carter v. Canada (which found in favour of physician assisted suicide and the judge ordered Canada to change the law to permit it) is now underway.
The following link provides a live-feed from the BC Court of Appeal and links to the factums filed by the parties and intervenors.
Senate Bill 136 has been approved by the Michigan Senate Health Policy Committee and will move to a vote in the state senate. The bill provides protection for health care payers, purchasers, providers, and institutions. A Michigan Radio report incorrectly states that the bill requires referral by objecting health care workers.
The Philippines RH Act, which was to go into effect on 31 May, has been temporarily suspended by a 10-5 ruling of the Philippines Supreme Court. The court will hear arguments for and against the law on 18 June, 2013. The ruling is a result of nine petitions against the law filed in the court. The petitioners are
Dr. William Spaulding, a former president of the Nebraska Psychological Association, has criticized the proposed Health Care Freedom of Conscience Act because it does not force health care workers to refer for services or procedures to which they object for reasons of conscience. The bill requires an objector to disclose that moral or religious beliefs prevent him from providing treatment so that the patient can seek assistance elsewhere, but does not force them to assist patients to find someone willing to provide the contested service.
Spaulding claims that an objector may refuse to treat a distraught patient who is involved in homosexual activity or who has homosexual inclinations by saying, “I have a religious belief against you and you have a moral problem.”
He refuses a compromise by which patients are provided a general list of alternative practitioners without specific referral to someone willing to affirm and support homosexuality, asserting, “Compromising on prejudice is not a compromise.” [Star Herald]