HealthOnTrack

Abortion is much debated topic – are you for it or against it? More so what is your country’s opinion and has it instituted an abortion law? While the UK has long since abolished the death penalty and its abortion law, Ireland and Malta are the only two European countries that still enforce anti-abortion laws.

Ireland will make only one exception to its current abortion law – if the life of the pregnant mother is at risk as a result of the pregnancy, and this law is only due to a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. While abortion laws around the world generally allow for this, Malta lawyers are unlikely to take on any abortion cases as the state’s abortion law clearly says that any form of abortion is criminal activity, even if the pregnancy puts the mother at risk.

Generally the world is in agreement when it comes to late term abortion laws because at this point the foetus is almost fully developed. However, Malta’s courts insist that abortion is not a fundamental human right and that international courts should not interfere with the country’s ruling.

A Malta company offering legal advice on the abortion law says that there is no reform and that offenders (mother and doctor) can face between 10 months and four years if found guilty of violating this law. For this reason, many pregnant women travel from Ireland and Malta to more liberal countries where the abortion law is not enforced and they have access to safe terminations.