Abortion buffer zone bill reaches stage one in Parliament

A bill that could introduce buffer zones for abortion clinics has reached stage one, and released its initial report.

Green Party MSP Gillian Mackay introduced the bill last year, and has been backed by cross party committee members.

It would mean that anti-abortion protestors must stand 200m away from clinics, or face an unlimited fine.

However there have been some controversies surrounding ‘silent prayer’, and whether this will be considered under the bill.

This is when there is no interaction between the protesters and patients, instead they sit in silent and observe a prayer in front of the said clinic.

Carol Mochan is an MSP for Scottish Labour, she said: “there are things that you can see and measure, and things women feel harassed by, especially when they’re trying to enter the health premises.

“But of course, when it comes to silent prayer, we took evidence from people explaining to us that sometimes that’s between them and God.”

Glasgow Students for Choice are feeling positive about this bill, and believe it will tackle an importance issue.

Leah Reilly is the vice president, she said: “The targeted intimidation that is present from anti-choice protesters creates a hostile experience for those who are simply trying to access healthcare or their workplace. For some, abortion comes with physical and mental impact, and the added resentment exhibited by anti-choice groups has a compounded detrimental effect on their safety and mental health. 

“By passing the buffer zone bill, it would ensure that people would feel more comfortable accessing healthcare that is part of their reproductive rights. Being a student society at the University of Glasgow, we see first-hand the negative impact that harassment outside of clinics has on the student body. Passing the bill would have a positive effect on these younger people who are faced with the decision to have an abortion.”

To find out more information on the bill, visit https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill/introduced