{"id":55411,"date":"2024-07-03T13:14:52","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T12:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/?p=55411"},"modified":"2024-07-03T13:30:25","modified_gmt":"2024-07-03T12:30:25","slug":"berlin-court-undermines-freedom-of-conscience-in-morning-after-pill-judgment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/de\/news\/berlin-court-undermines-freedom-of-conscience-in-morning-after-pill-judgment","title":{"rendered":"Berlin court undermines freedom of conscience in &#8222;morning-after pill&#8220; judgment\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"55411\" class=\"elementor elementor-55411\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-66a5268d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"66a5268d\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7914643f\" data-id=\"7914643f\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f2c366d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7f2c366d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pharmacist acquitted for declining to sell morning-after pill for reasons of conscience; but Court fails to uphold conscience rights.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul><ul><li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Court ruling suggest that pharmacists who conscientiously object to sale of certain drugs must give up the profession.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul><ul><li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ADF International has been supporting pharmacist Andreas Kersten for six years &#8211; \u201cViolation of freedom of conscience.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2ecf645 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-featured-image elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2ecf645\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-featured-image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"472\" src=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Andreas-Kersten_closeup.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-39353\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Andreas-Kersten_closeup.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Andreas-Kersten_closeup-300x138.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Andreas-Kersten_closeup-768x354.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b940a70 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3b940a70\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Berlin (03 July 2024) &#8211; <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Higher Administrative Court (Oberverwaltungsgericht) of Berlin-Brandenburg has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.berlin.de\/gerichte\/oberverwaltungsgericht\/presse\/pressemitteilungen\/2024\/pressemitteilung.1460797.php\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">acquitted<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> pharmacist <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/cases\/andreas-kersten\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Andreas Kersten<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> of the charge of breach of professional duty, dismissing an appeal by the Berlin Chamber of Pharmacists. The Chamber has been ordered to cover Mr Kersten\u2019s legal fees. While ruling in favour of Kersten, the Court failed to uphold the freedom of conscience of pharmacists in Berlin.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Kersten was charged in 2018 when he exercised his freedom of conscience to refrain from selling a potentially abortifacient drug, the \u201cmorning-after pill,\u201d in his pharmacy. The Court held that Kersten was relying on a letter from the federal Ministry for Health, which stated that pharmacists may exercise their conscience in such situations. According to the Court, he had no reason at the time to see<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">k more legal information, resulting in his acquittal.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-64cd7c2a elementor-blockquote--skin-border elementor-widget elementor-widget-blockquote\" data-id=\"64cd7c2a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"blockquote.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"elementor-blockquote\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-blockquote__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span style=\"color: #AF272F\">\u201cEven though I have been acquitted, I am dismayed by the reasoning rejecting our freedom of conscience. <\/span>Now pharmacists could be forced to give up their beloved profession simply for staying true to their convictions.\"\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-q-footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"elementor-blockquote__author\">- Andreas Kersten, Pharmacist<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-afe707a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"afe707a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">However, in the oral judgment (a written judgment will follow), the presiding judge explained that the duty to provide drugs (including the morning-after-pill) overrides the freedom of conscience \u2013 a stance at odds with international human rights law protecting conscience. He noted that a pharmacist who could not reconcile the dispensing of certain drugs with his conscience would have to give up his profession.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8222;I am relieved that the Court has rejected the sanction demanded by the Chamber of Pharmacists against me. I became a pharmacist to promote health, even to save lives. I cannot reconcile selling the so-called \u2018morning-after pill\u2019 with my conscience because of the potential to end a human life, however early. The first instance court initially backed my stance, finding no fault in my conscientious objection. But even though I have been acquitted, I am dismayed by the reasoning broadly rejecting our freedom of conscience. Now pharmacists could be forced to give up their beloved profession simply for staying true to their convictions,\u201d <\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">said pharmacist Andreas Kersten after the judgment was handed down.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Background: Charges for exercising conscientious objection\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Since 2018, the Berlin Chamber of Pharmacists has been pursuing professional proceedings against pharmacist and (then) owner of the Undine pharmacy, Andreas Kersten. He had declined to stock and sell the &#8222;morning-after pill&#8220; for reasons of conscience. The Berlin Administrative Court\u2019s chamber for Healthcare Professional Claims ruled in Kersten&#8217;s favour in November 2019.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At the time, the court held that pharmacists could invoke their freedom of conscience. However, the Chamber of Pharmacists appealed against the judgment, resulting in Kersten\u2019s protracted wait for justice.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Freedom of conscience in jeopardy<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">On 26 June 2024, the higher court upheld Kersten\u2019s acquittal in this specific case. It dismissed the Chamber of Pharmacists&#8216; appeal in its entirety and ordered it to pay the costs of the proceedings.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8222;<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">After more than five years of legal uncertainty, it is now clear that Andreas Kersten did not culpably breach his professional duties. We welcome this finding. However, the reasoning behind the judgment is egregious. In the oral judgment, the Court stated that pharmacists will have to choose between their convictions and their profession in the future, at least in Berlin,&#8220; <\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">said Dr Felix B\u00f6llmann, Director of European Advocacy for ADF International, which has supported Kersten&#8217;s case for six years.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">B\u00f6llmann continued: &#8222;<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Berlin Higher Administrative Court&#8217;s reasoning is in direct contradiction to international law. Fundamental freedoms must be effectively guaranteed, not just on paper. But the Court&#8217;s reasoning contravenes freedom of conscience. It is entirely inappropriate for the Court to argue that someone must exit their profession for choosing to exercise their freedom of conscience \u2013 this is an argument the European Court of Human Rights rightly rejected years ago.<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8222;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8222;Morning-after pill&#8220;: abortifacient effect<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In addition to other side effects, the morning-after pill has a potential abortifacient effect.<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8222;<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">No one should be forced to take an action that clearly contradicts their conscience &#8211; especially when it comes to life and death. Any pharmacist or doctor who experiences coercion because of this is welcome to reach out to our team. Together we can defend freedom of conscience<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A free state committed to basic human rights should never allow what amounts to a professional ban on the grounds of conscience,<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8220; B\u00f6llmann concluded.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-24c790f9 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"24c790f9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span 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data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"57a98fb5\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Andreas-Kersten_closeup.jpg\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6MzkzNTMsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC9hZGZpbnRlcm5hdGlvbmFsLm9yZ1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNFwvMDJcL0FuZHJlYXMtS2Vyc3Rlbl9jbG9zZXVwLmpwZyIsInNsaWRlc2hvdyI6IjU3YTk4ZmI1In0%3D\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Andreas-Kersten_closeup.jpg\" data-width=\"1024\" data-height=\"472\" aria-label=\"\" role=\"img\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"e-gallery-item elementor-gallery-item elementor-animated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Dr.-Felix-Boellmann.webp\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"57a98fb5\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Dr.-Felix-Boellmann\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6NDM4NTEsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC9hZGZpbnRlcm5hdGlvbmFsLm9yZ1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNFwvMDNcL0RyLi1GZWxpeC1Cb2VsbG1hbm4ud2VicCIsInNsaWRlc2hvdyI6IjU3YTk4ZmI1In0%3D\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Dr.-Felix-Boellmann-819x1024.webp\" data-width=\"819\" data-height=\"1024\" aria-label=\"\" role=\"img\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pharmacist acquitted for declining to sell morning-after pill for reasons of conscience; but Court fails to uphold conscience rights.\u00a0 Court ruling suggest that pharmacists who conscientiously object to sale of certain drugs must give up the profession.\u00a0\u00a0 ADF International has been supporting pharmacist Andreas Kersten for six years &#8211; \u201cViolation of freedom of conscience.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Berlin [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":39353,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[1039,484,130,486,70,1166,492],"class_list":["post-55411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-bollmann","tag-conscience","tag-europe","tag-freedom-of-conscience","tag-germany","tag-kersten","tag-news-2"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - 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