Conscientious Objector

Conscientious Objector, term applied to an individual who, out of personal moral conviction, whether because of religious training and belief, or from political, sociological, philosophical, or purely personal views, opposes war and his or her own participation in armed combat. The United Nations recognized the right to conscientious objection to military service in 1987.

In 1916 the Military Service Act introduced conscription for men aged between 18 and 41. The act included a “conscience clause” that allowed conscripts the right to refuse to fight if it were against their beliefs. Those claiming to be conscientious objectors appeared before a tribunal, which had to be persuaded of their genuine beliefs.

Conscientious objectors remain, by and large, members of the Mennonite Church, the Church of the Brethren, the Society of Friends, and similar pacifist sects.