British ban on protesting outside abortion clinics goes into effect

A historic law came into force in England and Wales on Thursday aimed at shielding women accessing medical care by designating 150 meters ‘protected zones’ around abortion clinics. The law as a bill under the Public Order Act prohibited any action that would hinder, pressure, or intimidate persons seeking an abortion. While some of these rights are plainly defined in the law when it comes to conventional protestation, the provision’s uncertainty regarding silent prayer within these zones puts its status in question, and there is no upper limit to the fines that violators may suffer.

The Crown Prosecution Service has also stated that praying in silence near abortion clinics will not necessarily be against the law but is instead up to police discretion. This stems from an 18-month delay in implementation when legislators voted against alteration that would allow silent prayers in buffer zones. The compromise has generated confusion that legal minds are certain will be resolved through litigation.

Louise McCudden of MSI Reproductive Choices believes that any kind of prayer outside clinics automatically seeks to control women’s actions. On the other hand, Crime and Policing Minister Diana Johnson confidently insists that such measures will adequately protect women receiving healthcare services.

Keep Reading

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, speaking through its lead spokesman Bishop John Sherrington, has echoed the claim that the law is an unjustified infringement of the right to pray in public, and to engage publicly in charitable acts. This is in stark contrast to pro-choice advocates who have said even passive protesters can alarm clinic patrons. The UK’s approach is rather different from the American one as abortion rights are in a worse state now after the quotation of the Roe v. Wade reversal.

British law allows abortion up to 24 weeks with the permission of a doctor under the 1967 Abortion Act though abortions beyond that are governed by the 1861 Offenses Against the Person Act. This case refers to the latest legal issues, where a 45-year-old woman was imprisoned for late-term abortion pills.

About WR News Writer

WR News Writer is an engineer turned professionally trained writer who has a strong voice in her writing. She speaks on issues of migrant workers, human rights, and more.

WR News Writer

WR News Writer is an engineer turned professionally trained writer who has a strong voice in her writing. She speaks on issues of migrant workers, human rights, and more.

Recent Posts

Tabu Says ‘Work-Life Balance Is a Personal Choice’

Recently during an interview with The Nod, one of the most successful actresses of Bollywood Tabu came up with interesting…

November 22, 2024

Risking It All: Migrants Face Deadly Choices to Reach the UK

Migrants in Calais are forced to make life threatening decisions every day as they strive to reach the United Kingdom.…

November 22, 2024

Russian attacks taking a toll on Ukraine’s labour market? Let’s understand

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has released a major report detailing the significant impact of Russia's years-long 'special military…

November 22, 2024

Ola Electric Cuts Jobs Amid Declining Market Share and Operational Challenges

Dealing with declining market share, increasing consumer unhappiness, and poor stock performance, one of the most well-known electric vehicle (EV)…

November 22, 2024

UN refugee agency launches $10 billion appeal for 2025

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has launched a $10 billion appeal for 2025 to meet urgent needs and…

November 22, 2024

Deloitte Implements Layoffs Amid UK Market Challenges: Here’s Why

One of the Big Four accounting and consulting firms, Deloitte, has disclosed a 180 job decrease across its UK advising…

November 21, 2024

This website uses cookies.

Read More