In a bid to defend the right to peaceful pro-life advocacy, SPUC is rallying pro-life advocates and urging them to participate in the ongoing Scottish Government Consultation on buffer zones.
The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Bill, sponsored by Gillian MacKay MSP, seeks to impose exclusion zones, also known as “buffer zones”, of at least 200 meters around abortion facilities in Scotland – a boundary even larger than the limit in England and Wales, set at 150 meters.
Abortion providers in Scotland would also have the option to request an extension of the buffer zone.
The Scottish buffer zone legislation would criminalise all pro-life activity, including posters in windows inside residential buildings, and subject rule breakers to fines of £10,000 or more.
Now, the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee in Holyrood is seeking views on Gillian McKay MSP’s Bill, and the Committee will then decide whether the Bill should be taken forward or not.
Act now to fight this bill
Alithea Williams, SPUC’s Public Policy Manager, said: “We need as many people to respond to the consultation as possible. We need to make it clear to MSPs how unworkable and unethical it is to ban people from peacefully praying and offering help to women.
“SPUC has produced an easy-to-use guide to help you respond to this consultation. You can access your guide to help you respond to this consultation here.
“The consultation closes on 20th December, you can find it here. Please fill it in as soon as you can, and encourage others to do so. Please act now to fight this bill. There is still time to stop this in Scotland. Please act now to stop Holyrood criminalising compassion.”