Protest and Proportionality in the Supreme Court: A Significant ‘Preliminary Issue’

2. The Bill sought to introduce ‘safe access zones’ around abortion clinics in Northern Ireland. At cl 5(2)(a), the Bill made it an offence to ‘to do an act in a safe access zone with the intent of, or reckless as to whether it has the effect of – (a) influencing a protected person, whether directly or indirectly [...]’. A ‘protected person’ was defined as including those attending clinics to access treatment, information, advice or counselling, those accompanying such a person at their invitation, and those working in or providing services to the clinic (cl 3).