Independent NUI Senator Ronan Mullen (pictured) has hailed as “momentous” yesterday’s vote at the Parlimentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in favour of defending religious freedom.

The vote was on a report, drafted by British representative Christine McCaffery, which in its original form was intended to severely restrict the right of medical workers to refuse to perform abortions and euthanasia.

However, due to the work of Senator Mullen and Italian representative Luca Volonte, a series of amendments which radically altered the document were passed, despite the fact that the original document had been widely expected to succeed.

The original report said that conscientious objection should be limited to doctors and nurses but not to medical institutions like hospitals, that doctors and nurses with an objection to a procedure such as abortion must refer the patient to someone who does not have such an objection, and that in ‘emergencies’ they must carry out the procedures themselves.

The report, previously entitled “Women’s access to lawful medical care: the problem of unregulated use of conscientious objection”, had also suggested that States should compel health-care providers to perform euthanasia on patients under certain circumstances and that a ‘registry of conscientious objectors’ be created.

Twenty nine amendments were tabled to the report, however, transforming the report into a resolution affirming the right to conscientiously object to abortion.

The final resolution of the report read: “no person and no hospital or institution shall be coerced, held liable or discriminated against in any manner because of a refusal to perform, accommodate, assist or submit to an abortion […]”.

Ms McCafferty, the original author of the report, was forced to vote against the final resolution due to its radical transformation.

The report was initially entitled “Women’s access to lawful medical care: the problem of unregulated use of conscientious objection” but eventually changed to “The right to conscientious objection in lawful medical care”.

Senator Mullen said that the vote was “a momentous victory for freedom of conscience and conscientious objection”.

He said: “The initial report rode roughshod over the right to conscientiously object to abortion. If adopted it would have entailed doctors, nurses and institutions being forced against their consciences and ethos to participate in the procurement of abortion. Thankfully, the adopted resolution is a true vindication of the rights of conscientious objectors to abortion, a right long established in both human rights law and medical ethics.”

Sophia Kuby, a pro-life advocate and head of the group European Dignity Watch which lobbied hard against the McCafferty Report, told LifeSiteNews.com that the surprise turn-around “is a victory for common sense and for freedom” and “a great victory for Europe.”

“Europe has made clear tonight that freedom of conscience constitutes a pillar of a democratic society that needs to be defended, at times also against a radical minority that wishes to limit freedom and impose a unique pro-abortion thinking in Europe,” Kuby said.

“It is a great sign of hope that a majority has clearly voted against a radical pro-abortion, anti-freedom, anti-diversity lobby that tries to establish unhealthy and suffocating legislation.”

The Resolution’s second paragraph affirms the universal right to freedom of conscience, saying, “The Parliamentary Assembly emphasizes the need to affirm the right of conscientious objection together with the responsibility of the state to ensure that patients are able to access lawful medical care in a timely manner.”

It says that the PACE is “concerned that the unregulated use of conscientious objection” may affect low income women or those living in rural areas, but went on to affirm that “in the vast majority of Council of Europe member states, the practice of conscientious objection is adequately regulated.” It “invites” the 47 member states to “develop comprehensive and clear regulations” that protect the right to freedom of conscience.

Senator Mullen was the only Irish representative from the Irish delegation to the PACE to vote on the report. The rest of the Irish delegation, Fianna Fáil TDs, Mr Frank Fahey, Ms Cecilia Keaveney and Mr Peter Kelly, Fine Gael TD Mr Patrick Breen and Labour TD Joe Costello along with Fianna Fáil Senator Terry Leyden and Fine Gael Senator Joseph O’Reilly, were not present.