Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542674
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 JANUARY 2026 NEWS CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Abela said he was open to in- tervening if a woman is given a prison sentence. "If a woman is given a prison sentence, I would feel comfortable exercising my prerogative as prime minister to ask Cabinet to reconsider the sen- tence, not by pardoning the sen- tence but by changing the penalty to a conditional discharge or a suspended sentence, although I don't like the idea of a suspended sentence either," Abela said. According to the Constitution, the President of Malta upon the advice of the Cabinet has the power to substitute any punish- ment imposed by the court on any person for any offence with a less severe form of punishment. Abela's significant commitment not to see any woman go to pris- on for abortion, however, remains just that—a personal commit- ment that allows the draconian legal status quo to persist. Indeed, there will be no mention of abortion in the Labour Par- ty's electoral manifesto, he con- firmed, when asked whether the party will seek an electoral man- date in the next general election. Nonetheless, Abela believes there is growing convergence that women who carry out an abor- tion should not be imprisoned, especially after two women were arraigned in court. "Before we used to say that no one was being charged with abor- tion, but we've now seen prison sentences handed down for abor- tion. Granted, it's a suspended sentence, but it could still lead to imprisonment," he said. In July 2025, a woman who pur- chased abortion pills online was handed a 22-month prison term suspended for two years. She was experiencing pain after taking the pills and went to hospital for treatment. In June 2023, another woman was given a conditional discharge for having a medical abortion at home. Abela believes discussions on the matter should revolve around whether we're comfortable with imprisoning women for having abortions. The real turning point would be when a woman is even- tually handed an effective prison sentence for the act. "I believe that no woman should be imprisoned for abortion, espe- cially when I hear of the circum- stances that led to their situation," he said. In Malta, abortions are only al- lowed when a woman's life is at risk, after approval from three medical specialists. This makes Malta's abortion laws the second most restrictive in Europe. Amendments to Malta's restric- tive abortion law were first an- nounced in 2022. Originally, the bill had proposed introducing two exceptions that would allow an abortion to take place: If a wom- an's health was at risk, including her mental health, and if her life was in grave jeopardy. Following public outcry, the government withdrew the ex- ception related to health, keep- ing only the non-controversial part related to the protection of life. The decision placated the concerns of conservative voices but disappointed abortion rights campaigners, who had hoped for a breakthrough. Between 2023 and 2025, five abortions were carried out under this new legal framework. However, hundreds of medical abortions take place every year with women obtaining pills on- line and self-medicating at home, alone, fearful of the stigma and the legal repercussions. Prime Minister Robert Abela says he would use constitutional prerogative to recommend changing jail term imposed on women for abortion to non-custodial sentence Robert Abela: 'I don't agree with sending women to prison for abortion' Prime Minister Robert Abela with James Debono, Matthew Farrugia, Laura Calleja and Kurt Sansone Signs attached to barriers outside of parliament in June 2023