After a Doctor was fired in December 2015 for refusing to perform a procedure that contradicted her faith, on October 11, Norway’s Supreme Court ruled that a physician has the right to refuse to conduct procedures that violate their conscience.
In December 2015, a General Practitioner Clinic in Sauherad fired Dr. Katarzyna Jachimowicz after she refused to insert IUDs into her patients.
Jachimowicz made it clear that IUDs or intrauterine devices, which CBN News reports can act as an abortifacient, are a clear violation of her Roman Catholic faith.
According to CBN News, Jachimowicz’s clinic was aware of the physician’s pro-life stance before she was hired in 2010.
LifeSiteNews reports that Jachimowicz told her bosses in a meeting, “Life begins at conception and I do not want to take part in destroying it.”
“All present agreed to my conditions, but I did not ask for written confirmation, knowing that an oral agreement is valid as well,” Jachimowicz told the outlet.
Jachimowicz is an experienced physician with more than 20 years of field work. She is also fluent in Polish, Russian, and Norwegian making her a valuable asset to patients from several walks of life.
According to CBN News, Jachimowicz’s termination marked her as the first medical professional in Norway to be fired for exercising her right to freedom of conscience.
“Dr. Jachimowicz proved to be a reliable, professional practitioner for the many patients under her care. The notion that her employer could not accommodate her deeply held convictions seems absurd, especially since there is a lack of medical doctors in Norway,” the Director of European Advocacy for Alliance Defending Freedom International Robert Clarke said.
Reportedly, Jachimowicz was encouraged to give up her conviction and perform the procedure, but the family doctor stayed firm in her belief.
“I never asked for this role,” Jachimowicz told deon.pl. “I simply wanted to be a regular family doctor. I found myself with a choice and couldn’t act differently.”
The Norwegian Supreme Court ruled in Jachomowicz favor last week.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision marks an important step in the right direction, not only for doctors but for people of faith in all professions,” Håkon Bleken, Jachomowicz attorney, said. “The ruling protects one of the most fundamental rights, the right to act in accordance with one’s deeply held beliefs.”
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