American Family News reported back in February the national Christian Medical and Dental Associations had filed a lawsuit after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a revised version of a 2015 law. The original End of Life Act was written to reassure protesting doctors they would never have to participate but, in a real-life example of the “slippery slope” prediction, the updated law now requires doctors to be involved after all.
After the governor’s back-stabbing signature, an unwilling doctor must provide a patient with information about the End of the Life Act and provide a referral to another doctor who is more willing to help a person end his or her life. So the faith-based physicians group sued to fight back with legal help from Alliance Defending Freedom.
This week, a federal judge ruled in favor of a temporary injunction while the CMDA lawsuit proceeds against Rob Bonta, the California attorney general who would enforce the law, and likely punish non-compliant medical doctors, across the state.
California physicians are “likely to suffer a violation of a constitutional right absent an injunction…,” the court ruling stated in part. “The ultimate outcome of this requirement," the court further said, "is that non-participating providers are compelled to participate in the Act through [even its] documentation requirement, despite their objections to assisted suicide.”
Kevin Theriot, an attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom, tells AFN the court handed down a “fantastic ruling” that should encourage health care professionals to both defend their pledge to protect lives and to stand up for their individual rights.
“It is pretty clear that health care professionals should be able to live out their beliefs without fear of government punishment,” he says, “and I think the court's ruling confirms that."
