Safe Access Zones
Legislation will be introduced from 24 September 2024 that will create Safe Access Zones.
Safe Access Zones aim to protect service users and staff accessing and providing abortion services by preventing activities which could influence or alarm them around hospitals and clinics that provide abortion services.
It is Police Scotland’s role to enforce legislation.
Every incident is unique and officers will respond proportionately to reports of anyone breaching the legislation by engaging with them, explaining the law and encouraging compliance before moving to enforcement if necessary.
Police Scotland is a rights-based organisation and officers balance the protections people have under human rights legislation against other laws every day.
Under the new legislation, anyone planning to protest in any form within a declared Safe Access Zone is very likely to commit an offence.
If you have any concerns, please contact Police Scotland on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
What is Police Scotland’s role?
Government create legislation and policing’s role is to enforce the legislation. The policing style and approach to enforcement is a matter for Police Scotland.
For new legislation in particular, policing’s approach tends to be proportionate. This means there will not always be an immediate rush to arrest and we will adopt an approach where officers will be expected to engage, explain the law and encourage compliance before moving to enforcement if necessary. Every incident and set of circumstances is unique.
Officers apply this considered approach regularly, especially at incidents involving protest where we are required to balance the protections people have under human rights legislation against other laws.
We have been working closely with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and will continue to do so.
Will a peaceful protest such as a prayer vigil within a Safe Access Zone be an offence?
Every case will be judged on its merits. In every case, Police Scotland will initially engage with those involved, explain the law to them and encourage compliance before moving to enforcement if necessary.
Will peaceful protesters be arrested for any offences under this new legislation?
Police Scotland will take every step to work with people breaching the legislation to avoid enforcement and ultimately arrest. Every case will be judged on its merits.
