The Minister of Justice, Éric Dupond-Moretti, assures that the inclusion of voluntary termination of pregnancy in the Constitution “absolutely does not render” the conscience clause of health professionals obsolete. “There is no fear, neither for the doctors nor for the midwives,” he assures.
The inclusion of abortion in the Constitution on Monday in Congress “absolutely does not render” the conscience clause of health professionals obsolete, assured Sunday the Minister of Justice, Éric Dupond-Moretti.
“It’s a protection that we owe to women”
“The doctor who does not want to (perform an abortion) will obviously have the right and the freedom not to want to. We are not going to violate consciences. And that is already guaranteed by the Constitution,” he said. affirmed the Minister of Justice on Radio J, recalling that “freedom of conscience is already constitutional”. “We are dealing with societal issues and we must respect each other’s convictions,” he added. “There is no fear, neither for the doctors nor for the midwives.”
France, unlike many countries where abortion is on the decline, will on Monday become the first country to explicitly include voluntary termination of pregnancy in its Constitution. “We must not wait until a right is really threatened to protect it,” said Éric Dupond-Moretti. “It’s a protection that we owe to women,” he said. “I am very happy that tomorrow we are going to Congress and that we are bringing this text which I have the weakness and immodesty to think is a historic text,” insisted the Minister of Justice.