The introduction of buffer zone legislation outside abortion clinics has been hailed as a “crucial day for reproductive rights” by the MSP who spearheaded the legislation.
Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay said the introduction of the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill, said the laws could be a “turning point” for women access healthcare.
The legislation blocks protests or vigils within 200 metres of 30 healthcare facilities offering abortion services in Scotland.
The protective zones are intended to prevent women and clinical staff from receiving distress or harassment when accessing care.
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However, opponents have claimed the legislation, which was passed overwhelmingly by MSPs in the Scottish Parliament, would infringe on freedom of religion.
Those breaking the new laws, which come into force today, could face unlimited fines in the most serious of cases.
Clinics impacted by the laws include the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh and Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital.
Ms Mackay said: “This is a crucial day for reproductive rights and healthcare in Scotland. I hope that it will be the end of the intimidation and harassment we have seen of people who are accessing healthcare.”
Anti-abortion demonstrations have been seen outside abortion clinics across Scotland in recent years, particularly outside Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Ms Mackay added: “Right from the first moment I saw footage of the protests, I could see how much damage they were doing and how many people were being impacted by them. I knew that I had to do everything I could to stop them.
“Over the days and weeks ahead, I will be working with the Scottish Government to ensure that patients and staff know where protesters can and can’t be so that they can report any activity that is against the law.
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“I hope that this is a turning point and the beginning of the end of the protests, and that nobody else will have to endure them.”
Scotland’s public health minister Jenni Minto said the implementation of the legislation was a “crucial milestone” in protecting women’s rights, adding: “No one has the right to interfere in women’s personal medical decisions and the law now makes that abundantly clear.”
She added: “The new zones of 200 meters around all abortion services will help ensure women have safe access to healthcare – free from intimidation. This law is about protection for women at a time when many will feel incredibly vulnerable around taking a deeply personal and difficult decision.”
Writing for The Herald, SNP MSP Rona Mackay said the law was a historic moment for Scotland.
However, she warned it must be used to advocate for the women in countries where “regressive” steps are being taken on abortion.
She wrote: “We are not only protecting but we are advancing women’s rights, and today is an important step in that journey as the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act comes into force.
“This legislation will ensure women and girls can access vital, life-saving healthcare free from judgment or harassment.
“Crucially, their right to choose is further protected and enhanced – empowering individuals to determine the course of their own lives.
“I pay tribute to Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay’s dedication and tenacity in fighting for this change; and to every girl who longs to make her own decisions about her own future.
“I am so pleased that the Scottish Parliament has made that a little bit easier today.”
She added that “nothing was more important” than allowing women to make their own healthcare decisions.
However, in celebrating the “milestone” she urged Scots to “remember the women and girls out there who have never had the right to choose their own path”.
She added: “I am heartened by the progress we have seen in this country but I am heartbroken at the regressive steps taken elsewhere.
“I will always advocate for those women, and for Scotland to play our part in ensuring that the change we’ve seen here goes beyond these shores.”
She cited the United States, where 17 out of 50 states have outlawed almost all abortions, while another eight allow "very limited access" to the procedure.
Another 11 are to hold referendums on the issue this November.
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