Buffer zones outside abortion clinics to come into effect at end of October

Buffer zones outside abortion clinics in England and Wales will come into force at the end of October.

It has been more than a year since MPs voted to bring in legislation seeking to ensure women do not face harassment outside clinics.

Delays on implementation under the previous Conservative government centred around the issue of silent prayer.

Campaigners supporting the safe access zones had raised concerns that the law would be watered down in practice if silent prayer was not also banned, while anti-abortion groups argued that doing so would threaten their rights to freedom of expression and religious belief.

The new law prohibits protests within 150 metres of clinics or hospitals providing abortion services in the two nations as part of the Public Order Act, which received royal assent on May 2 2023.

The Home Office has said the zones will come into effect from October 31.

The law will make it illegal for a person to do anything deemed to intentionally or recklessly influence someone’s decision to use abortion services, obstructs them, or causes harassment or distress to someone using or working at such premises.

It is understood silent prayer could come within this scope.

Guidance will be published in the coming weeks by the College of Policing and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to “ensure there is clarity and consistency with the enforcement of the new offence”, the Home Office said.

The maximum penalty for anyone convicted is an unlimited fine.

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said: “The right to access abortion services is a fundamental right for women in this country, and no-one should feel unsafe when they seek to access this.

“We will not sit back and tolerate harassment, abuse and intimidation as people exercise their legal right to healthcare, which is why we have fast-tracked this measure to get it up and running without further delay.

“For too long abortion clinics have been without these vital protections, and this Government is determined to do all we can do to make this country a safer place for women.”

Women’s health minister Baroness Merron said: “The safety and wellbeing of women accessing abortion services remains our priority.

“No women should feel scared or threatened when accessing these services, and it is only right they are protected from any abuse or harassment.

“This Government will continue to work closely with NHS England, abortion providers and the wider sector to ensure that women have access to safe, high quality abortion services.”

Heidi Stewart, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas), said she is “hopeful” concerns around silent prayer have been recognised, adding: “For the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of women accessing healthcare, we must ensure that all forms of harassment are prohibited outside abortion clinics.”

Louise McCudden, from MSI Reproductive Choices, said the new zones will protect women and frontline healthcare workers, adding: “Whatever your personal views are on abortion, nobody should be harassed while accessing healthcare.”

But Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, said the zones will mean “vital practical support provided by volunteers outside abortion clinics, which helps to provide a genuine choice, and offers help to women who may be undergoing coercion, will be removed”.

Legislation creating buffer zones around abortion clinics in Scotland, banning any protests or vigils there, is due to come into force on September 24.

In Northern Ireland, safe access zones at health service locations which offer abortion and birth control services came into effect in September 2023.