A new bill in the Scottish parliament to introduce “safe access zones” around abortion centres has Scottish Catholics deeply concerned, and maintains an ongoing trend in the UK for introducing legislation supporting so-called buffer zones that suppress any form of concern for pregnant women and the unborn.
Scottish Catholics are concerned the prohibitions of the bill will extend to prayer services, silent vigils and could even criminalise certain actions in private homes.<br><br>Anthony Horan, director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office (CPO), says the proposed law would be the “most extreme of its kind in the world”, <a href="https://cruxnow.com/church-in-uk-and-ireland/2023/12/catholic-group-opposes-buffer-zone-legislation-for-abortion-in-scotland"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">reports</mark></a> <em>Crux</em>.
The Scottish bill's proposed “safe access zone” includes the facility in which abortions are performed and also land within 200 metres of the edge of the protected premises. The proposed law also stipulates that the range of the zone may be extended by the Scottish government following an application by the relevant Health Board or health provider.
“Crucially, there is no upper limit on the size of ‘buffer zone’ the government can create,” the CPO says.
In addition, “praying audibly” and “silent vigils” will be criminalised if they are carried out in conjunction with any of the prohibited effects listed by the law, including the likes of “influencing the decision of another person to access”, or “causing harassment, alarm or distress to another person in connection with the other person’s decision to access”.
The bill was submitted last year by Gillian Mackay, a member of the Scottish parliament from the Green Party. She has criticised the behaviour of protestors at facilities who have worn body cameras and used loudspeakers.
“Some of these appointments are traumatic in their nature, and take a lot of will to get there in the first place,” Mackay told <em>BBC Scotland</em>. “They don’t need any more barriers put in their way and neither should they have to face these barriers.”
But the CPO says proposals are extremely disproportionate, intolerant and attack civil liberties, while arguing they are unnecessary as "existing law is adequate to deal with any serious problems" that could arise where people gather in public.
“The law would also apply to the actions of a person inside their own home [if] in the buffer zone," the CPO highlights. "It would be illegal to display a pro-life sign from a window in one’s own home, school or church. Those who commit an offence may receive an unlimited fine."
The group notes how in England, Catholics have already been <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/police-apologise-for-catholic-woman-six-months-after-arresting-her-for-silent-prayer/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">arrested for praying silently</mark></a> under similar laws to the legislation being proposed in Scotland. Abortions in England and Wales have been reaching <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/776639-2/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">record levels</mark></a> in recent years, based on government figures.
“It is deeply concerning that the bill includes an offence of ‘influencing’,” CPO says. “This will set a dangerous precedent by criminalising an individual who tries to ‘influence’ another person to change their mind, an innocent and harmless practice that is commonplace throughout society.” <br><br><em>Photo: Former First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon addresses an Abortion Summit at Scottish Government offices, Leith, Scotland, 7 February 2023. The summit included discussions about “a long-term legislative solution on abortion safe-access zones to protect women from anti-abortion protestors outside of hospitals and sexual health clinics”. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images.)</em>
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