Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: business and regulatory impact assessment

Enforcement, Sanctions and Monitoring

Safe access zones will automatically apply to all premises providing abortion services within Scotland.

A person who is in a safe access zone commits an offence if the person does an act with the intention of (or is reckless as to whether the act has the effect of):

• influencing the decision of another person to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services at the protected premises,
• preventing or impeding another person from accessing, providing or facilitating the provision of abortion services at the protected premises, or
• causing harassment, alarm or distress to another person in connection with the other person’s decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services at the protected premises.

The offence will be committed where the other person is in the safe access zone for the purpose of accessing, providing or facilitating the provision of abortion services.

A person who commits an offence is liable to (on summary conviction) a fine up to the statutory maximum (being £10,000 on the date of introduction of the Bill), or (on conviction on indictment) to an unlimited fine.

Scottish Government officials will work with Police Scotland to monitor the effectiveness of safe access zones.