MPs back abortion clinic buffer zone lawon October 18, 2022 at 6:30 pm

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Protesters found breaching 150-metre buffer zones around clinics would face up to six months in jail.

Stella Creasy MP

Members of Parliament have approved new plans to enforce buffer zones around abortion clinics in England and Wales.

Under the proposed law harassing, obstructing or interfering with any woman attending an abortion clinic will become a criminal offence.

Protesters found guilty of breaching 150-metre buffer zones around clinics would face up to six months in jail.

Labour MP Stella Creasy said buffer zones protect “women accessing a very specific type of health care”.

Ms Creasy, who proposed the new rules, said: “It does not stop fee speech on abortion. It does not stop people protesting.

“It simply says you shouldn’t have the right to do this in the face of somebody – and very often these people are right up in front of people.”

The amendment to the Government’s Public Order Bill, was approved by MPs by 297 votes to 110.

The bill still has several stages to clear before becoming law, including scrutiny in the House of Lords.

As it now stands the bill would ban influencing, impeding or threatening, intimidating or harassing, advising or persuading, using graphic, physical, verbal or written means to inform about attendees about abortion services.

Anti-abortion protests outside clinics in recent years have included displaying graphic images of foetuses, filming women and staff members, and large gatherings singing hymns.

Similar legislation has been proposed in Scotland.

protestors

Ms Creasy said: “Let’s be honest, there’s nobody praying outside the places you get a hip operation.

“There is nobody offering rosary beads or dead foetuses outside places you might go for an ankle injury.”

“There is a time and a place to have that conversation, but it is not when you are dealing with vulnerable women.”

Ealing council established the country’s first buffer zone around a Marie Stopes clinic in 2018.

Since then other councils have proposed similar schemes.

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