Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1484790
NEWS 5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 23 NOVEMBER 2022 MATTHEW VELLA THREE University of Malta professors are leading a push by academics to in- clude legal safeguards in a new amend- ment to the crime of abortion, to remove liability for doctors who carry out termi- nations when the mother's life is in dan- ger. The authors are the former Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta, Mgr Prof. Emmanuel Agius, pro- fessor of obstetrics Charles Savona Ven- tura, and former Dean of the Faculty of Laws, Prof. Kevin Aquilina. The three academics said the amend- ment as proposed "opens the door for legal abortion" because the proposed law does not only speak of instances where the woman is at risk of dying, but also adds the words "or her health in grave jeopardy". They said this would also open the door for doctors to carry out terminations if they deemed a pregnancy endangers the mother's mental health. "The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations declared that the word 'health' also means men- tal health. Therefore, with the Govern- ment's amendment, a pregnancy can be terminated, not just in cases where the woman's life is at risk, but also in cases of mental health conditions. This means abortion will be allowed if a woman is going through serious mental conditions, none of which should ever justify the sac- rifice of a baby's life," they said. The three academics said the amend- ment should be worded in such a way that only when "a real and substantial risk of loss of the mother's life from a physical illness" is present, such a termination can take place. The three academics said they will be publishing a paper detailing the rationale behind their proposed amendment, with a full list of professionals who are object- ing to the amendment. Professors say abortion tweak opens door to terminations on mental health grounds Greens: Abortion rules the right step ALTERNATTIVA Demokratika chairperson Carmel Cacopardo has said the Labour Party should have included the decriminalisa- tion of life-saving terminations of pregnancy, in its electoral manifesto. Cacopardo, praising the pro- posed amendment to Malta's criminal laws removing liability for doctors who save a moth- er's life with the termination of pgrenancy, said Labour had lacked courage in making this an electoral pledge. "This amendment to our laws is a step forwards. But it's not enough. Labour should have had the courage to speak about abortion in its last manifesto, but it did not. ADPD has been clear on all this: there are cir- cumstances in which abortion has to be considered, even when pregnancy is the result of vio- lence or when a pregancy is not viable." Cacopardo said the first step in the decriminalisation of abortion had taken place, and it "could be only a matter of time before this debate is finally closed." ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo