Thought crime ‘now real’

Nicola Laver  |  UK & Ireland
Date posted:  1 Jul 2024
Share Add       
Thought crime ‘now real’

buffer zones protest

A pro-life campaigner has been fined after refusing to move away from a ‘buffer zone’ outside an abortion clinic in Birmingham.

Two police community support officers from West Midlands Police told Sebastian Vaughan-Spruce that he was breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) – even though he had reportedly been standing silently outside the clinic.

Under the Public Order Act, local authorities can impose abortion ‘buffer zones’ making it an offence to engage in any act which has the effect of ‘influencing any person’s decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services’. Offenders face an unlimited fine.

Share
< Previous article| UK & Ireland| Next article >
Read more articles by Nicola Laver >>
UK & Ireland
Porn crack-down

Porn crack-down

“Harmful” online pornography is to be made illegal, bringing its regulation into line with offline harmful pornography, according to The …

UK & Ireland
Assisted suicide bill faces termination

Assisted suicide bill faces termination

The proposed assisted dying legislation is doomed to fail, as no further additional time has been granted to enable full …

Subscribe

Enjoy our monthly paper and full online access for just £40/year

Find out more

Give a subscription

Our monthly newspaper is the perfect gift for those who love to think deeply

Give here