Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/698019
4 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 29 JUNE 2016 News Lawyer takes on Equality Commission, compares it to pro-abortion lobby CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Azzopardi also hit out at the Women's Rights Foundation which, he claimed, was "intentionally hiding the fact that life begins with conception" by de- nying personhood to the embryo in the first 15 days of life. A statement that the foundation had issued to that effect was built on "mistaken information," reads the protest. The lawyer then went on to say that the commission "also lacked the knowledge of what amounts to discrimination, and therefore much less a breach of fundamental human rights." "Experts in the human rights field consider the right to life as prevail- ing over every other right," argued the lawyer, adding that European human rights case law had estab- lished this "elementary concept." He likened the commission's ar- guments in favour of the pill's in- troduction to those made by the pro-abortion lobby, adding that "the faulty arguments had led the organisation to think that nobody is prepared to face them and fight in favour of human life and defend these voiceless creations." Equality Comission supports morning-after pill The National Commission for the Promotion of Equality has of- ficially declared its support for emergency contraception, follow- ing a judicial protest signed and presented by 102 women. "Lack of access to the morning- after pill raises an issue of discrim- ination since the unavailability of this pill penalises primarily women by denying them a pharmaceuti- cal service that would allow them to exert more control over their life. Emergency contraception is important for women to prevent unwanted pregnancies," the Com- mission said. "The NCPE also notes that other emergency contraception meth- ods, such as the IUD (coil), are al- ready available in Malta. However, these are more costly and less ac- cessible compared to the morn- ing-after pill. Thus, licensing the morning-after pill would enhance access to emergency contraception and safeguard the rights of every woman by ensuring that goods and services offered on the market are available to all women." Emergency contraception can prevent most pregnancies when taken after intercourse and is ef- fective only in the first few days af- ter the sexual act, before the ovum is released from the ovary and be- fore the sperm fertilizes the ovum. According to the World Health Organisation, emergency contra- ception cannot interrupt an estab- lished pregnancy or harm a devel- oping embryo. Pro-lifers and the Catholic Church are among those who op- pose the availability of the morn- ing-after pill, arguing that it is an abortifacient. But now, Archbishop Charles Scicluna has been quoted as saying that he would not find the morn- ing-after pill abortive if it works before fertilisation. According to Princeton, "there is no evidence to suggest that either of the FDA- approved emergency contraceptive options, levonorgestrel (LNG, such as Plan B One-Step, Take Action, Next Choice One Dose or My Way) or ulipristal acetate (UPA, such as ella) works after an egg is ferti- lized". Whilst the chairperson of the Medicines Authority, Professor Anthony Serracino Inglott, said that the morning-after pill is not il- legal, the Chamber of Pharmacists said that pharmacists can object to dispense the pill on religious grounds. "Pharmacists, as independ- ent healthcare professionals, are guided by the ethical code of the Pharmacy Council which is based on the principle of beneficence and abhors maleficence "Pharmacists may refuse to dis- pense prescriptions which would mimic the action of the MAP on the basis of conscientious objec- tion. They may do this without being judgemental and indicating another pharmacy where the cli- ent may receive the service," the Chamber said. The Chamber is also insisting they are independently empowered to question doctors' prescriptions, contradicting the claims carried in the press that medical dispensaries could not contradict prescriptions. "Pharmacists are independent healthcare professionals who have every right and responsibility to question a doctor's prescription, not only in this context, but in any other situation, and use his or her discretion on whether a pre- scription is to be dispensed or not. This is enabled by the Medicines Act and the Code of Ethics of the Pharmacy profession issued by the Pharmacy Council." Labour youths: 'abortion' bandied about irresponsibly LABOUR youth organ FZL has come out in favour of licens- ing the morning-after pill, after a judicial protest was filed by the Women's Rights Foundation demanding that the health de- partment allow the emergency contraceptive to be sold in phar- macies. "More information should be made available on these types of contraceptives and on sexual and reproductive health in gen- eral, that comes from a credible source with no hidden agenda. Any misleading information is condemnable: the word 'abor- tion' is being used to create fear and to deny women their rights," the Forum Zghazagh Laburisti said. The youth section said it wel- comed the unequivocal state- ment from Medicines Authority chairman Prof. Anthony Serra- cino Inglott that the pill was not illegal but that no importer had ever applied for its licensing. "The fact that in 2016 a group of women had to file a judicial pro- test on this matter alone shows how sexuality in Malta is still considered taboo. Elsewhere in Europe this pill is available over the counter." Student organisation Pulse has also declared itself in favour of the proposed licensing of the morning-after pill. Pulse noted that the World Health Organisation agrees that emergency contraception is only effective in the first few days fol- lowing intercourse, before the ovum is released from the ovary and before the sperm fertilizes the ovum. "Emergency contraception cannot therefore interrupt an established pregnancy or harm a developing embryo," it said. "Furthermore, it has been inter- nationally established that un- fettered access to contraception greatly decreases the rate of teen- age pregnancies and abortion." Pulse also took an unveiled dig at rival student group SDM, who recently launched a public con- sultation among university stu- dents on the morning-after pill. "It would have been irrespon- sible to issue a position without referring to research and experts. However, it would have been equally irresponsible to wait and issue a position based on the stu- dent body or the general popula- tion's popular opinion – ref lect- ing a principle and value crisis." Lawyer Tonio Azzopardi The commission 'lacks the knowledge of what amounts to discrimination'