Legal Aspects of Organising Chaplaincy Services in the Hospitals of Republic of Latvia in the Context of Patients and Their Relatives Right to Receive Spiritual Health Care

The study analyses fifth paragraph of Article 3 of the Law On the Rights of Patients which states a patient and his or her relatives have the right to receive mental care which, in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the activities of chaplain services and religious organisations (Law On Religious Organisations; Cabinet Regulation No. 134 of 15 February 2011, Rules for chaplaincy service; other Cabinet Regulations which regulates the requirements to medical treatment support person professions), shall be provided by the chaplain of a medical treatment institution. The right to receive mental care is considered as a unique and specific patient right and the purpose of this right is very closely linked to the human right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion established in such legal acts as Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia. The study presents the results of analysed national legal acts, scientific literature in the field of medical law and the results of the empirical study that the author has examined in Latvian hospitals.