A legal action brought by two Catholic midwives after they claimed to have been forced to supervise abortions against their religious beliefs has been described as a landmark case.

Senior counsel for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board (NHSGGC) in the judicial review at the Court of Session said it was likely to affect the determination of "many other cases likely to arise in the future".

Midwifery sisters Mary Doogan, 57, and Concepta Wood, 51, are seeking a finding that that their entitlement to conscientious objection "to participation in treatment for termination of pregnancy and feticide" under abortion legislation includes the right to refuse to delegate, supervise and support staff in the work.

Their lawyers said they hold a religious belief that all human life is sacred from the moment of conception and termination of pregnancy is a grave offence against human life.

They said they believe their involvement in the termination process is wrongful and an offence against God and renders them accomplices to a grave offence.

Ms Doogan, from Garrowhill, Glasgow, and Ms Wood, from Clarkston, East Renfrewshire, work as labour ward coordinators at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital.

They maintain in their action that the sanction for their involvement in the process, including its facilitation, is automatic excommunication from the Catholic Church.

Brian Napier QC, for NHSGGC, said: "Although this case is about the particular circumstances of the petitioners and their complaints at the Southern General the outcome is likely to have general importance for other hospitals not just in Scotland, but throughout the UK."

He said that since the issue was a matter of statutory interpretation of legislation the outcome was likely to effect many cases that could come up in future.

Mr Napier, who will give a ruling at a later date, said NHSGGC accepted that the action related "to a question of public importance".