Buffer Zones and the Right to Protest

“With the reversal of Roe versus Wade in the United States, abortion is very much back in the news. Here in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon responded to developments in America by giving the government’s backing to a bill that would introduce buffer zones, criminalising any form of vigil or protest outside abortion clinics.

However as the First Minister has acknowledged, such legislation would need to be ‘capable of withstanding any human rights challenge’ – a tacit acknowledgement that it would potentially clash with rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of conscience, all protected by the European Convention on Human Rights.” Read the rest of Rev. Stephen Steele’s article for the local Stranraer paper by clicking here.