Freedom of Conscience of Healthcare Professionals and Conscientious Objection in the European Court of Human Rights

The recent social and legal debate in several European countries on abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide has caused a strong resurgence of the concerns healthcare personnel as to real possibility protecting their consciences professional sphere. Individual refusal for religious, moral, deontological, or ethical reasons participate activities that directly indirectly could result termination human life constitutes most extreme manifestation phenomenon conscientious objection. Although Convention Human Rights does not recognize general right objection, since Bayatyan v. Armenia, case law Court identified connection between conscience-related claims compulsory military service Article 9 Convention. However, this date, doctrine been applied cases affect health-sensitive areas like abortion contraception. This article analyzes activity relation freedom conscience particularly healthcare, offers final observations projected possible future conflicts.