A bill designed to stop pro-life gatherings outside Scotland’s abortion clinics has been published at Holyrood [1], similar to one in Ireland.
Green MSP Gillian Mackay’s bill is likely to have cross-party support and is being backed by the Scottish government.
It would create 200m (656ft) “safe access” zones around facilities which carry out abortions and other health services.
It also includes powers to allow health boards extend the size of a zone allows for unlimited fines for people who breach it.
The bill is opposed by pro-life groups.
Lois McLatchie Miller of ADF UK in Scotland said everyone stands firmly against harassment, but this Bill goes much further, “making it a crime to engage in ‘influencing’ on public streets [2] anywhere ‘visible or audible’ from an area 200m around the abortion facility”.
“The use of such broad and sweeping terminology leaves Scottish people open to prosecution merely for engaging in a consensual conversation, offering charitable help services to women who’d like to consider other options, or even privately praying about abortion and those impacted by it”.