Maltese lawmakers vote to legalize abortion, but only where the mother is at risk of death

By KEVIN SCHEMBRI ORLAND
Associated Press

VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Maltese lawmakers have unanimously approved legislation to ease the the strictest abortion laws in the European Union. But a coalition of pro-choice campaigners say last-minute changes make the legislation “vague, unworkable and even dangerous.”  The original bill allowing women access to abortion if the mother’s life or health was in danger was hailed as a step in the right direction for the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic nation. Under the amendments, though, a woman must be at risk of death to access an abortion, and then only after three specialists consent. The new law allows a doctor to terminate a pregnancy without further consultation only if the mother’s life is at immediate risk.