Belfast-based pro-life organisation Precious Life has announced it will launch a legal challenge to the “safe access zones” legislation that was passed at Stormont on Thursday 24 March. The legislation makes it a criminal offence to hold vigils outside abortion centres, and passed by 55 votes to 29.
Green Party Leader and abortion rights advocate Clare Bailey MLA is the architect of the Bill, and has admitted the aim of the legislation is to criminalise anyone who talks to a woman going into an abortion centre. Any man or woman who tries to dissuade a woman from going through with an abortion, either through holding a pro-life sign, through silently praying, or offering a leaflet with details of life-affirming pregnancy support, now face a fine of up to £2,500.
Announcing its legal challenge, Precious Life said they would not allow the “discriminatory” legislation to go unchallenged.
“The passing of this draconian and oppressive bill now criminalises innocent women and men who hold peaceful pro-life vigils outside abortion centres in Northern Ireland.
“But we will not let this discriminatory legislation go unchallenged. It denies people their fundamental human rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression – both protected under Articles 10 and 11 of the Human Rights Act. It also breaks one of the of the key principles of the Good Friday Agreement, which is to uphold the right to expression of religion. Precious Life will challenge this through our local courts, the High Court, the Supreme Court, and if need be, right up to the European Court of Human Rights,” the organisation, headed by Precious Life, said.
The group have blasted the SDLP, Sinn Fein, the UUP, Alliance and People Before Profit for voting in favour of the controversial Bill. As highlighted by Gript, a large number of self-declared ‘pro-life’ MLAs voted for the legislation criminalising pro-life campaigners. Further, just a tiny 0.2% of submissions to a recent public consultation supported the introduction of the zones, evidence of the broad-based public opposition to the criminalisation of prayer, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
“The 55 MLAs who voted for this bill should be ashamed. Clare Bailey and the other pro-abortionists in SDLP, Sinn Fein, UUP, Alliance, and PBP completely ignore the reality that little babies are being killed inside these abortion centres. The ultimate ‘safe zone’ for unborn babies should be in their mothers’ wombs.
“We urge people to “vote out” these pro-abortion MLAs and Parties in the forthcoming Assembly Election on 5th May. Vote only for candidates who will uphold the right to life of unborn babies, and also defend the rights of people to hold vigils on the public streets outside abortion centres,” Precious Life said.
The organisation is continuing to hold peaceful vigils across Northern Ireland to offer help and witness to life outside abortion centres despite the passing of the law.
“We will never stop actively protecting unborn babies — when and wherever their lives are in danger of abortion,” Precious Life said this week.
