A court in Scotland has ruled that two Catholic midwives have a right to refuse to help in any way with abortions or scheduling abortions.

The Edinburgh court upheld last Wednesday the right to conscientious objection for Mary Doogan and Concepta Wood.

They had lost an early case, when a judge found that scheduling staff for abortions was not protected by the conscience clauses in the Abortion Act 1967.

The midwives appealed that ruling, citing their right to be exempt from participation in any way in abortions.