Wed Oct 4, 2023 – 3:12 pm EDT
(LifeSiteNews) — Under draconian new laws, Northern Ireland is criminalizing peaceful men and women who pray, hold vigils, and distribute pro-life leaflets within 250 metres of an abortion center.
Since September 29, it has been deemed a criminal offence for people seeking an abortion to be “impeded, recorded, influenced or to be caused harassment, alarm or distress” within designated zones according to the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023. The penalty for an offence is a fine of up to £500.
The Department of Health have said safe access zones will include protected premises where abortions are provided, as well as adjoining public space between 100m and 250m from entrances or exits of the protected premises.
Under the conditions of the Bill, it is an offence to influence “a protected person, whether directly or indirectly” while entering an abortion facility. According to the Bill, “a protected person is a person attending protected premises for the purposes of accessing the treatment [sic], information, advice or counselling provided there.”
Precious Life, one of the largest pro-life groups in Northern Ireland condemned the new exclusion zones.
Precious Life
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