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CV NEWS FEED // Legislation establishing 200-meter “protected zones” around abortion clinics in Scotland has gone into effect, banning activities such as prayer and protests in these areas as of September 24, according to a report from Glasgow Times.
The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill was passed in June. It is “designed to protect women from harassment,” according to the Times. It will affect 30 abortion facilities across the country.
The bill, introduced by Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Gillian Mackay, makes it officially “an offence for a person in a safe access zone to act in certain ways,” and that “This includes any behaviour that might stop a person from getting an abortion or make them feel scared or upset about getting an abortion,” according to an overview of the bill published by the Scottish Parliament.
Glasgow Times reported that the enforcement of this new law falls to the Scotland police force, which will impose fines of up to £10,000 under summary court procedures on those who protest or hold vigil within the “protected zone” outside abortion facilities. More serious offenses could lead to unlimited fines under solemn procedures, according to the report.
The bill passed by a large majority, with only one MSP voting against it.
The UK’s largest pro-life campaigning organization, the Society for the Protection of the Unborn, had been actively protesting the bill. It expressed emphatic opposition to the bill on X:
