New anti-abortion protest law sees two people arrested in Northern Ireland

New legislation came into effect last Friday to stop protestors from operating outside any health settings in which abortion services occur.

Since its launch, two people have been arrested for allegedly refusing to leave the established “safe access zone” outside Causeway Hospital near Coleraine, County Londonderry.

The “safe access zones” cover the space between 100m and 250m from the entrance or exit to a clinic.

The police said that the law was explained to the pair over an extended period, but their resistance to move resulted in their arrest under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023.

The pair have since been released on bail pending further inquiries.

Commenting on the new law, the Chief Inspector Vince Redmond, of the NI Police Service said, “the legislation seeks to balance the right to peaceful protest with the rights of those wishing to access these services safely.

"As a police service we will seek to work with the Department of Health, local health trusts and all relevant parties to respond as appropriate to any breaches of the legislation that are reported to us.

"We would expect that persons will respect the zone, to avoid any requirement for police action, which may lead to an arrest."