Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill

Author: SPICe Research

PDF Published: Wednesday 31 Jan 2024 (SB 24-05)

Expand
Overview
Report

Hide

Hide

Overview
Report
- Summary
- Scottish Parliament consideration of the Bill at Stage 1
- A note on language
- Introduction
- The context of the Bill
  - Abortion provision in Scotland
  - Anti-abortion activity in Scotland
  - Key organisations supporting and opposing the Bill
  - Consideration of alternatives to introducing legislation
  - Gillian Mackay MSP's consultation on safe access zones legislation
- Human rights considerations
  - The legal and constitutional position of the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights
  - What is covered by the rights engaged by the Bill
    
    Article 8: the right to respect for private and family life
    
    Article 9: freedom of thought, conscience and religion
    
    Article 10: freedom of expression
    
    Article 11: freedom of assembly and association
  - Restricting and balancing human rights
  - UK court judgments in relation to restrictions on protest around abortion clinics
    
    Dulgheriu and Orthova v the London Borough of Ealing
    
    Reference by the Attorney General of Northern Ireland – Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Northern Ireland) Bill
- What the Bill would do
  - The aims of the Bill
  - Establishment of safe access zones for protected premises
  - Criminal offences created by the Bill
    
    Behaviours covered by the offences
    
    Exceptions to the offences
    
    Penalties for the offences
  - Changes to safe access zones
  - Ministerial guidance
  - General provisions
- Financial memorandum
Sources

Scottish Parliament. (2023). Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill as introduced. SP Bill 34, Session 6, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill/introduced/bill-as-introduced.pdf [accessed 20 December 2023]

Scottish Parliament. (2023). Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: Policy Memorandum. SP Bill 34-PM, Session 6 (2023). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill/introduced/policy-memorandum-accessible.pdf [accessed 19 December 2023]

Scottish Parliament. (2023). Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: Explanatory Notes. SP Bill 34 - EN, Session 6 (2023).. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill/introduced/explanatory-notes-accessible.pdf [accessed 20 December 2023]

Scottish Parliament. (2023). Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: Financial Memorandum. SP Bill 34 - FM, Session 6 (2023). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill/introduced/financial-memo-accessible.pdf [accessed 20 2023]

Scottish Parliament. (2023). Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: Delegated Powers Memorandum. SP Bill 34: DPM. Session 6 (2023). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill/introduced/delegated-powers-memorandum-accessible.pdf [accessed 20 2023]

Scottish Government. (2023). Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: Equality Impact Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/abortion-service-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-equality-impact-assessment-results/pages/7/ [accessed 20 December 2023]

Scottish Government. (2023). Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/impact-assessment/2023/10/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-business-regulatory-impact-assessment/documents/abortion-service-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-business-regulatory-impact-assessment/abortion-service-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-business-regulatory-impact-assessment/govscot%3Adocument/abortion-service-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-business-regulatory-impact-assessment.pdf [accessed 20 December 2023]

Scottish Government. (2023). Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-child-rights-wellbeing-impact-assessment/ [accessed 20 December 2023]

Scottish Government. (2023). Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: Fairer Scotland Duty Summary. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/impact-assessment/2023/10/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-fairer-scotland-duty-summary/documents/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-fairer-scotland-duty-summary/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-fairer-scotland-duty-summary/govscot%3Adocument/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-fairer-scotland-duty-summary.pdf [accessed 20 December 2023]

Scottish Government. (2023). Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: Islands Communities Screening Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/impact-assessment/2023/10/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-island-communities-impact-assessment/documents/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-islands-communities-screening-assessment/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-islands-communities-screening-assessment/govscot%3Adocument/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-scotland-bill-islands-communities-screening-assessment.pdf [accessed 20 December 2023]

Scottish Parliament. (2023). Scottish Parliament Health, Social Care, and Sport Committee Webpage. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-health-social-care-and-sport-committee [accessed 20 December 2023]

Scottish Greens. (2023, October 6). Scottish Greens news article: "Buffer zone bill will deliver strongest protections in the UK". Retrieved from https://greens.scot/news/buffer-zone-bill-will-deliver-strongest-protections-in-the-uk [accessed 20 December 2023]

UK Government. (2023). Legislation.gov.uk: Abortion Act 1967. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1967/87/contents [accessed 20 2023]

UK Government. (2023). Legislation.gov.uk: Scotland Act 2016. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/11/contents/enacted [accessed 20 2023]

Scottish Government. (2023). Equality, Opportunity, Community: Our Programme for Government. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/strategy-plan/2023/09/programme-government-2023-24/documents/equality-opportunity-community-programme-government/equality-opportunity-community-programme-government/govscot%3Adocument/equality-opportunity-community-programme-government.pdf [accessed 20 December 2023]

Public Health Scotland. (2023). Termination of pregnancy year ending December 2022: A National Statistics release for Scotland. Retrieved from https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/19737/2023-05-30-terminations-2022-report.pdf [accessed 20 December 2023]

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. (2012). Patient Information: Abortion Care. Retrieved from https://www.rcog.org.uk/for-the-public/browse-our-patient-information/abortion-care/ [accessed 20 December 2023]

NHS Scotland. (2023). NHS Inform: Abortions in Scotland. Retrieved from https://www.nhsinform.scot/tests-and-treatments/surgical-procedures/abortion/ [accessed 20 December 2023]

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2023). British National Formulary: Mifepristone and Misoprostol. Retrieved from https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/mifepristone-and-misoprostol/ [accessed 20 December 2023]

Tommy's. (2023). Tommy's Baby Loss Support Information: Missed Miscarriage. Retrieved from https://www.tommys.org/baby-loss-support/miscarriage-information-and-support/types-of-miscarriage/missed-miscarriage-information-and-support [accessed 20 December 2023]

BBC. (2022, June 24). Roe v Wade: US Supreme Court ends constitutional right to abortion. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-61928898 [accessed 20 December 2023]

The Guardian. (2023, November 10). The women being prosecuted in Great Britain for abortions: ‘Her confidentiality was completely destroyed’. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/10/the-women-being-prosecuted-in-great-britain-for-abortions-her-confidentiality-was-completely-destroyed [accessed 20 December 2023]

Law Society of Scotland. (2022, August 15). The Roeing back of women's rights?. Retrieved from https://www.lawscot.org.uk/members/journal/issues/vol-67-issue-08/the-roeing-back-of-women-s-rights/ [accessed 20 December 2023]

YouGov. (2023, October 12). Where does the British public stand on abortion in 2023?. Retrieved from https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/47568-where-does-the-british-public-stand-on-abortion-in-2023 [accessed 20 December 2023]

Humanist Society Scotland. (2023). Abortion Clinic Buffer Zones. Retrieved from https://www.humanism.scot/campaigns/abortion-clinic-buffer-zones/ [accessed 20 December 2023]

Lowe, P., & Hayes, G. (2019). Anti-Abortion Clinic Activism, Civil Inattention and the Problem of Gendered Harassment. Sociology, 53(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038518762075

Lowe, P., & Page, S.J. (2019). Rights-based Claims Made by UK Anti-abortion Activists. Health and Human Rights Journal, 21(2), 133-144.

Scottish Parliament. (2023). Proposed Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill – Gillian Mackay MSP Consultation Summary. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/proposed-members-bills/buffer-zone-consultation-summary.pdf [accessed 20 December 2023]

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. (2023). Safe access zones around abortion clinics: The impact of harassment outside abortion clinics and the need for safe access zones to protect women and healthcare professionals. Retrieved from https://www.rcog.org.uk/media/iouempf3/fsrh-rcog-safe-access-zones-around-abortion-clinics-report.pdf [accessed 20 December 2023]

Nursing Standard. (2016). Abortion clinic staff ‘run the gauntlet’ of protests. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/openview/ef1ba3409c15a33847633b3f6d4c5f35/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2042228 [accessed 20 December 2023]

Back Off Scotland. (2023). Back Off Scotland website. Retrieved from https://www.backoffscotland.com/ [accessed 20 December 2023]

British Pregnancy Advisory Service. (2023). BPAS Safe Access Zones Scotland campaign page. Retrieved from https://bpas-campaigns.org/campaigns/safe-access-zones-scotland/ [accessed 20 December 2023]

Healthandcare.scot. (2022, July 22). GPs back abortion protest buffer zones bill. Retrieved from https://healthandcare.scot/default.asp?page=story&story=3171 [accessed 20 December 2023]

40 Days for Life. (2023). 40 Days for Life website. Retrieved from https://www.40daysforlife.com/en/ [accessed 20 December 2023]

STV. (2023, June 4). US pro-life campaigner brands Scottish Parliament Bill as 'bigotry'. Retrieved from https://news.stv.tv/politics/us-pro-life-campaigner-brands-scottish-parliament-buffer-zone-bill-as-bigotry [accessed 20 December 2023]

Right to Life UK. (2022). Respond to the consultation on the Scotland censorship zone Bill. Retrieved from https://righttolife.org.uk/scottishconsultation [accessed 20 December 2023]

Society for the Protection of Unborn Children. (2023). Say No to Buffer Zones campaign page. Retrieved from https://www.spuc.org.uk/Get-Involved/Campaigns/Say-NO-To-Buffer-Zones [accessed 20 December 2023]

ADF UK. (2023). Scottish “buffer zones” bill launched amidst “thoughtcrime” prosecutions in England. Retrieved from https://adf.uk/scottish-censorship-bill/ [accessed 2023 December 2023]

ADF UK. (2023, April 14). “Excessive” bail conditions dropped for charity volunteer arrested for silent prayer. Retrieved from https://adf.uk/excessive-bail-conditions-dropped/ [accessed 20 December 2023]

Christian Action, Research and Education. (2022, August 8). CARE: Scotland Buffer Zone Bill endangers free speech. Retrieved from https://care.org.uk/news/2022/08/care-scotland-buffer-zone-bill-endangers-free-speech [accessed 20 December 2023]

Scottish Government. (2021). Abortion Safe Access Zones: Ministerial Working Group. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/groups/ministerial-working-group---abortion-buffer-zones/ [accessed 20 December 2023]

Scottish Parliament. (2022). Proposed Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: Consultation Document. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/proposed-members-bills/abortion-services-safe-access-zones-consultation-document_final.pdf [accessed 20 December 2023]

BufferZones.scot. (2022). Proposed Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: Consultation responses. Retrieved from https://www.bufferzones.scot/consultation-results [accessed 20 December 2023]

UK Government. (2023). Legislation.gov.uk: Public Order Act 2023, Section 9. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/15/section/9/enacted [accessed 20 December 2023]

UK Government. (2023). Legislation.gov.uk: Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2023/1/section/4 [accessed 20 December 2023]

Last Updated: 5/12 6:37pm

An error occured while loading, please try again in a few minutes.