The health minister took the law in his own hands and ignored clear regulations when he dissolved the board of the Embryo Protection Authority citing conflict of interest of one of the members as the reason.

In a statement this evening, the Nationalist Party objected to the minister's actions and said it was absurd how within the new board, which included a judge as chairman and a pediatrician, the experience, technique and general knowhow of a gynaecologist was considered a conflict of interest and damaging to the board.

And even though the board would face bioethical challenges, the minister opted to remove the bioethics expert and failed to replace him with another expert on the subject.

The Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority of the UK, which served as a reference to the Malta board and other boards of this nature around Europe, the PN said, also included members who practiced IVF, because the need for prominent and technical persons in the sector was considered essential.

The PN noted that the minister gave himself the power to dissolve the whole board. This was in spite of the fact that the law stated that in the case of a conflict of interest or unsuitable behaviour by a board member, it was only that member who should be removed and in no case did the minister have the right to dissolve the whole board.

It was clear that the minister was wrong in his considerations of what constituted a conflict of interest, he took the law in his own hands and ignored clear regulations, the party said.