Gift of Life, the pro-life group, said today it rejected comments made in The Times by Harry Vassallo which, it said, were in favour of making Malta's laws less restrictive and thus allowing for legalized abortion in certain situations.

"We are very disappointed at Dr. Vassallo's comments in his contribution in The Times dated 28th March 2008. We are convinced that Dr.Vassallo is fully aware that this is not an issue, as here in Malta the double effect principle is used successfully in difficult pregnancies.

"His comments set a very dangerous precedent.It is a firmly established fact that the full legalisation of abortion is invariably preceded by the relaxation of laws in certain extreme cases," Gift of Life said.

"Equally we condemn without reservation the timing of the comments made by the leader of Alternattiva Demokratika, given the recent pressure being placed on Malta from the Council of Europe to legalise abortion on demand. Although this resolution would not be legally binding on Malta, we feel that the Maltese Government should do its utmost to ensure that Malta's position is made clear at the plenary," Gift of Life said.