Law students have demanded the "immediate and urgent" decriminalisation of abortion, saying those considering the procedure should be offered counselling instead of facing criminal prosecution.

Under Malta's criminal code anyone who seeks or helps with an abortion can be sentenced from 18 months to three years in prison, even though prosecutions are rare. 

In a 154-page document on the subject, the Malta Law Students’ Society (GĦSL) called for Articles 241 and 243, which deal with abortion, to be immediately removed. 

The document entitled 'Abortion: A Reproductive Right, or a Moral Profligacy?' includes an analysis of laws in other countries, interviews with members of the legal profession and a discussion on the ethical and medical debates.

"This organisation has never shied away from difficult and controversial
topics, having in the past written on subjects such as euthanasia, rule of law,
and human trafficking," GħSL president Celine Cuschieri Debono said.

"It is with great responsibility and mindfulness of the
polarising nature of this subject that we have undertaken this task."

The document also called on the government to reinforce the medical principle of "good faith" for medical professionals dealing with anyone considering an abortion or who has had one. 

It should also:

• remove any "ambiguities" on the legality of terminations carried out outside of Malta;
• work towards ending the taboo surrounding the abortion debate in
"civilized conversation:
• provide training for the care of people requesting family planning, or postabortion services;

The document said that counselling should be the "ideal option for women and any medical professionals at any stage of the process of considering an abortion, rather than face criminal prosecution".

GħSL’s secretary-general Maya Spiteri Dalli said that as a body representing the
interests of law students, the society's main focus was to maintain and
uphold an impartial appreciation of the law, while taking into account the topic's sensitive nature.

"In light of this, an unbiased approach was adopted, so as to achieve a coherent conclusion,” she said.