The nature and limitations of conscience in healthcare

Smith, Stephen W. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4682-8957 2025. The nature and limitations of conscience in healthcare. Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/9781108785006

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Abstract

The role of conscience in healthcare decision-making is explored in this important intervention in the fields of Health Law and Ethics, Medicine, Nursing and Philosophy. It takes a broad approach to conscience, looking beyond the standard examples of conscientious objection to argue that conscience permeates healthcare decisions. However, it also shows that not all decisions of conscience are worthy of legal or societal protection and that these are interests to be weighed rather than rights. Instead, conscience should be protected only when the individual exercising conscience abides by specific responsibilities. Additionally, the book explores the important issues of complicity with healthcare decisions and institutional or organisational conscience and argues they play an oversized role in general discussions of conscience. It further claims that we ought to pay much more attention to conscientious provision. The book concludes by looking at ways to more effectively regulate claims of conscience.

Item Type:	Book - authored
Book Type:	Authored Book
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Cardiff Law & Politics
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
ISBN:	9781108490115
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2026 13:39
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/186524

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