MPs have backed proposals to impose buffer zones around abortion clinics in England and Wales.
Under the proposed law, it would be a criminal offense to harass, obstruct or interfere with any woman attending an abortion clinic. Protesters found guilty of breaching the buffer zones – which will extend 150 meters from the clinics – could face up to six months in prison.
Parliament voted 297 to 110 in favor of an amendment pushed by a cross-party group of MPs to the government’s public order bill.
Currently, police and local authorities can apply to create zones in response to protest complaints, but they can face legal challenges from anti-abortion campaigners.
Deputies were given the right to vote freely on the matter. Labor MP Stella Creasy, who proposed the new rules, said the buffer zones protected “women who have access to a very specific type of health care”.
Creasy said: “This does not stop free speech on abortion. That doesn’t stop people from protesting. It’s just saying that you shouldn’t be allowed to do that to anyone’s face – and very often those people are right in front of people.
The bill still has several stages to clear before becoming law, including scrutiny in the House of Lords.
Former Home Secretary Victoria Atkins has previously voiced her support for the measure. “These are essential health services that we provide properly, legally in the 21st century,” she told MPs. “So we certainly need to enable women to get the services when they need them, when they need them, so that they get the right help and advice that they need.”
Conservative MP Sir Edward Lee disagrees with the proposals. “We’re talking about people who are just trying to raise awareness of the support that’s available … for women facing difficult pregnancies who have nowhere else to turn,” he said. “We’re going to criminalize these grannies, but so many Just Stop Oil people are walking free.”
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Ealing Council in west London created the country’s first buffer zone around the Marie Stopes Clinic in 2018. Other councils have subsequently proposed similar schemes.
Similar legislation has been proposed in Scotland. In June, the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said the Scottish Government would back a member’s bill which would see 150m no-go zones placed outside health facilities so women can access services without fear, harassment or intimidation.
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