Case Dismissed for Woman Charged Under Safe Access Zones Law
A 75-year-old woman, Rose Docherty, who was arrested and charged for participating in an anti-abortion protest outside the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow, has had her case dismissed. Docherty was the first individual charged under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act after holding a placard outside the hospital in May and again in September.
Under the legislation introduced in 2024, any activities that could "influence or alarm others around hospitals and clinics where terminations are carried out" are prohibited.
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service stated:
"COPFS notes the decision of the court and will consider it carefully."
Doctors at the hospital have previously informed BBC Scotland News that the protests, ongoing for approximately 10 years outside the hospital, were distressing and intimidating for both patients and staff.
The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act prohibits protests or vigils within 200 metres (650 feet) of 30 clinics nationwide. It is a criminal offence to engage in behaviour that could influence the decisions of women and staff accessing services within these buffer zones. Additionally, preventing women and staff from entering clinics or causing alarm, harassment, or distress is also an offence.
Violators of the buffer zone law may face fines up to £10,000 or unlimited fines in more serious cases.
Details of Docherty's Arrest and Protest
Docherty was arrested near QEUH while holding a sign that read: "Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want." She described the arrest as an "alarming" and "surreal" experience during an interview with BBC's Scotcast.
She stated at the time:
"I don't feel I was breaking the law because I feel this law is an unjust law. I was just standing with a sign that was stating a fact that coercion is a crime. I was there to speak with people only if they wanted to speak with me. I wasn't approaching anyone, I wasn't behaving in a manner that was intimidating or harassing anyone."
Hospital Staff Reactions to Protests
Dr Greg Irwin, a physician at QEUH, was photographed confronting a group of protesters in February 2023. He remarked that these protests "cause emotional upset to patients, but also to staff members."
He further explained:
"One in three women will make use of abortion healthcare, so judgemental protests at the hospital gates have a real and unpleasant effect, particularly on these staff members. But they also affect other staff, like myself, who find it infuriating to know that there are protesters outside the hospital intimidating patients on their way in. It's such an unbelievably cruel and unkind thing to do, and it bothers me throughout the protest period."
