This chapter trawls through Part III material to identify and track patterns/trends of jurisdictional commonality and difference. It deals sequentially with: principles, policy and legal framework; the interface between conscientious objection and the fundamental human rights of religion, association and expression; followed by conscientious objection in the context of public health; then in relation to social care services, national defence, public education, employment and commercial services. It does so for the purpose of examining the varying jurisdictional impact of conscientious objection on these specific indices of a democratic society.

It considers the correlation, if there is one, between this form of dissent—its nature, extent and targeting—and jurisdictional differences in the tolerance thresholds indicative of a healthy democratic society. It identifies and examines such principles and emerging trends as are evident in national jurisprudence, distinguishing the jurisdiction specific characteristics from those which have, or would seem to be acquiring, a wider international validity.