A Canadian Court has ruled that physicians can be forced by the State to facilitate procedures they find morally objectionable, including euthanasia and assisted suicide, by connecting patients with willing providers.

Three judges of the Ontario Court of Appeal unanimously upheld a lower court ruling in favour of a compulsory “effective referral” policy imposed by Ontario’s state medical regulator, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

The Court decided the case solely on the basis of freedom of religion claims which it found “insufficient”. It did not consider an intervention of the Protection of Conscience Project about the nature of the procedures that were being objected to.

According to the Project Administrator, Sean Murphy, the judges uncritically adopted the view of the College that euthanasia and numerous other questionable procedures, such as assisted suicide, abortion, contraception, sterilization and sex change surgery, are acceptable forms of medical treatment or health care.

The appellants might yet appeal the case to the Supreme Court of Canada.