Abela places trust in doctors to correctly interpret abortion amendment
It will be up to doctors to decide what conditions justify a medical intervention that would result in the termination of a pregnancy, under the terms of legal amendments being debated by parliament, Robert Abela has said. Medical professionals would make those decisions "according to the established best practices" and anyone caught "abusing or stretching" the law would be criminally prosecuted, the prime minister told reporters on Wednesday. "I trust our medical professionals in their clinical judgment," he added. Robert Abela speaks to reporters. Video: Chris Sant Fournier. Parliament is currently discussing an amendment to the criminal code that will free doctors and pregnant women from the threat of criminal prosecution if a pregnancy is terminated to protect a woman "suffering from a medical complication which may put her life at risk or her health in grave jeopardy." The proposal has sparked a national debate, with critics saying the government is trying to introduce abortion by stealth and proponents saying the changes are needed to ensure legal certainty. A group of academics has argued that the proposal as it is currently worded could be used to justify terminations...