New laws preventing protesters from gathering outside clinics offering abortion services have come into force today and been praised as a “crucial day for reproductive rights”.
As of today, Tuesday September 24, safe access zones were established around 30 health facilities across Scotland, stopping anti-abortion protesters from gathering within 200 metres of such clinics.
The move comes just over three months after the Scottish Parliament overwhelmingly passed the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act, with only one MSP voting against it.
Police Scotland will now enforce the legislation, with those breaking the law facing the possibility of an unlimited fine for the most serious breaches.
Speaking as the legislation came into force Green MSP Gillian Mackay, who led the push for the legislation, said: “This is a crucial day for reproductive rights and healthcare in Scotland. I hope that it will be the end of the intimidation and harassment we have seen of people who are accessing healthcare.
“Right from the first moment I saw footage of the protests, I could see how much damage they were doing and how many people were being impacted by them. I knew that I had to do everything I could to stop them.
“Over the days and weeks ahead, I will be working with the Scottish Government to ensure that patients and staff know where protesters can and can’t be so that they can report any activity that is against the law.”
Ms Mackay also praised campaigners like Back Off Scotland and thanked the women who had shared their “often difficult and traumatic stories” of facing protests outside clinics. She said: “I hope that this is a turning point and the beginning of the end of the protests, and that nobody else will have to endure them.”
Backing the new legislation, Women’s Health Minister Jenni Minto described it as a “crucial milestone in protecting women’s abortion rights” in Scotland. The minister said: “No one has the right to interfere in women’s personal medical decisions and the law now makes that abundantly clear.”
She praised Ms Mackay and others who campaigned for the change, paying tribute to “the women who showed incredible courage in speaking up and sharing their experiences during the Bill process”
Ms Minto added: “The new zones of 200 metres around all abortion services will help ensure women have safe access to healthcare – free from intimidation. This law is about protection for women at a time when many will feel incredibly vulnerable around taking a deeply personal and difficult decision.”
Similar legislation is set to be introduced in England and Wales on October 31.
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