An MP has said that religious pro-life activists must pray "150 metres away" from abortion providers, as 'buffer zones' come into force across England and Wales.
The 'safe zones' have been brannded “chilling and Orwellian” by Christian protest groups. They will be enacted in England and Wales on Thursday 31st October.
Protected zones will be put in place for 150 metres around health clinics where abortions take place. In these zones, protest – including silent prayer – is forbidden.
Under the Public Order Act 2023, it is an offence for someone to intentionally or recklessly influences someone’s decision to access abortion services, obstruct them, or cause harassment, alarm or distress to anyone working on the premises.
Whilst the bill received royal assent on 2nd May 2023, it has been delayed from coming into force due to debate over what is specifically prohibited in the zones, according to non-statutory guidance. A group of Conservative and DUP MPs launched a bid to contest the inclusion of silent prayer, but in a free vote, the notion was rejected by a majority off 183 MPs.
Some argue that the zones are an overdue measure. Labour MP Stella Creasy told PA news agency: “Women have a right to privacy, and that privacy means that if you're going to pray for women having abortions, you need to do it 150 metres away.”
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is expected to publish further guidancefor prosecutors, while the College of Policing will publish a brief for officers on safe access zones under section 9 of the Safe Policing Act.
Stella Creasy MP told PA: "I am very mindful we all need to see the detail. But we do need to be explicitly clear.
"The question of silent prayer was considered in a democratic fashion, and the way to balance the rights of people to pray with the people who want to access an abortion has been found through safe access zones. So I'm expecting the legislation to be very, very clear that the will of Parliament is to be upheld."
She insisted on the fairness of the legislative process, saying: "[Anti-abortion campaigners have had a democratic moment. Parliament has debated, discussed and ultimately voted.
"Nobody's banning silent prayer, they're just saying it's not appropriate here."
Opposition group Society for the Protection of the Unborn (SPUC) has claimed that including silent prayer as a form of forbidden protest “constitutes a gross intrusion in the right of freedom of religion, free speech", and branded the measure “Orwellian”.
Earlier this month, Adam Smith-Connor was convicted for silently praying in a buffer zone in Bournemouth.