17th March 2023
After an overwhelming vote in the House of Commons last week, Parliamentarians have moved to enact so called
‘safe access zones’ outside abortion facilities in England and Wales. Clause 10, soon to become law, criminalises a
range of activities within a 150m perimeter of an abortion facility. These could very easily include many things that
should never be criminalised such as prayer, thought, peaceful presence, consensual communication and practical
support if they are deemed to influence or interfere with access to the clinic. Politicians went so far as to vote
down an amendment which would have protected silent prayer and consensual communication in such spaces,
and that would have initiated a review into whether such legislation was needed.