The Scottish Parliament has begun hearing evidence on a Bill which, if it becomes law, will introduce the world’s most extreme buffer zone law in Scotland.
Parliamentary scrutiny of the Bill began on Tuesday with the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee convening for its first of 4 evidence sessions.
The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill was introduced by Scottish Green Party MSP, Gillian Mackay, in October last yr.
Quite a lot of abortion activists and girls who had previously had abortions told their stories to the parliamentary committee. One witness said that prayer outside locations where abortions are performed is “unacceptable” and that banning it through this laws can be “extremely helpful” for the entire of society.
Silent prayer and personal dwellings
Among those that questioned the witnesses, Conservative MSP Sandesh Gulhane repeatedly asked concerning the issue of restricting silent prayer in a public space and the way other jurisdictions had approached this. He suggested that not less than in some circumstances, it might be “unimaginable to know” if someone was silently praying, raising concerns over how clergy who is likely to be present within the buffer zone is likely to be policed.
Gulhane also asked witnesses concerning the Bill’s provision to increase into private dwellings suggesting that this could “erode” privacy inside one’s own residence.
The Explanatory Notes accompanying the Bill clarify that the provisions of the Bill apply to “residential buildings” inside the buffer zone. This implies that it could be illegal to display a pro-life sign from inside a church or inside an individual’s own residence whether it is visible inside the buffer zone.
Anyone who commits an offence might be fined as much as £10,000 on a summary conviction, or a limiteless effective on indictment.
Furthermore, the Bill gives the Scottish Government the facility to increase any buffer zone beyond 200m in the event that they judge that the present zone “doesn’t adequately protect” women looking for an abortion. There is not any limit on the dimensions of the buffer zone that might be created under this power.
In response to his questions, Rachael Clarke, from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), the most important abortion provider within the UK, made it clear that she thought that this intrusion into private dwellings was proportionate.
Polling from Savanta ComRes indicates that only 30%Â of the population in Scotland support the introduction of nationwide buffer zones around abortion clinics.
The poll assessed support for buffer zones of 150 metres, as can be introduced in England and Wales, so it is probably going that support can be even lower for the Mackay buffer zone law given the proposed law in Scotland would introduce a more extreme 200m buffer zone.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “If this Bill becomes law, the world’s most extreme buffer zone law can be introduced in Scotland.
“This laws goes further than any buffer zone laws in another jurisdictions, making a larger buffer zone than anywhere else on the planet and giving the Scottish Government powers to increase these zones without limit.
“Many women have been helped outside abortion clinics by pro-life volunteers who’ve provided them with practical support, which made it clear to them that they’d another choice apart from going through with the abortion.
“The proposed law change would mean that the vital practical support provided by volunteers outside abortion clinics can be removed for ladies and lots of more lives would likely be lost to abortion.
“This is a very draconian piece of laws that reaches into the homes of abnormal people. It creates an offence for being publicly pro-life. It is direct viewpoint discrimination.”
