Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 27, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 27, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleItaly’s Constitutional Court ruled on March 27, 2026, that Sicily cannot reserve job postings solely for doctors willing to perform abortions, deeming such separate hiring discriminatory; however, the court permitted alternative arrangements, such as agreements with private providers, to ensure serv
By Angelo Amante
ROME, March 27 (Reuters) - Italy's Constitutional Court has barred Sicily from advertising jobs reserved for health workers willing to perform abortions, but said on Friday the southern region could find alternative ways to safeguard access to the service.
Faced with high refusal rates among doctors on moral or religious grounds, Sicily last year passed a law requiring public hospitals to set up dedicated abortion wards and hire staff willing to carry out the procedure.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government challenged the measure, saying it would create special hiring tracks that would discriminate against other medical staff.
"The court highlighted that recruitment procedures limited to non-conscientious objectors are incompatible with fundamental principles," the court said in a statement.
However, it added that Sicily's public hospitals could enter agreements with private facilities to ensure abortion services were provided.
Sicily's regional government had no immediate comment.
Abortion has long been contentious in Italy, a predominantly Roman Catholic country, but it has been legal since 1978. It is permitted within the first 90 days of pregnancy, or later if the mother's health is at risk or if there are foetal abnormalities.
However, recent data show the service can be hard to access, especially in the more conservative south, with fewer than half of Sicily's hospitals offering abortions in 2022.
Health workers may opt out by declaring an ethical or religious objection, provided the woman's life is not in immediate danger.
The Constitutional Court said separate recruitment would not guarantee access to abortion services across the island because workers could still declare themselves objectors after being hired.
The objection "can, in essence, be exercised at any time during the employment relationship without any consequences," the statement said.
(Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Andrei Khalip)
The Court ruled that limiting recruitment to non-conscientious objectors discriminates against other medical staff and is incompatible with fundamental principles.
Sicily's public hospitals can partner with private facilities to ensure abortion services are available.
The law aimed to address high refusal rates among doctors objecting to abortions on moral or religious grounds.
Abortion has been legal in Italy since 1978. It is permitted within the first 90 days of pregnancy or later under specific conditions.
Yes, doctors can exercise conscientious objection at any time during employment without consequences, as noted by the Constitutional Court.
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