The first public meeting related to the proposed voluntary euthanasia legalisation will take place at the Fgura local council on Friday.

The event will start at 6:30pm and will be addressed by Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms Rebecca Buttigieg and lawyer Deborah Schembri before the floor is given to the public.

It is the first of three public meetings scheduled as part of the ongoing public consultation processes, with two more set to take place in Xewkija on 30th May and Mosta on 13th June.

As expected, the proposal – which will allow for voluntary euthanasia for patients who are suffering from a terminal illness that will likely result in their death within six months – has proven to be controversial.

The Medical Association of Malta has opposed it, but the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses is in favour.

And while Hospice Malta is against it, its co-founder Peter Muscat is in favour.