A 75-year-old grandmother and long-time pro-life advocate has been cleared of all charges after becoming the first person arrested under Scotland’s controversial “buffer zone” legislation.
Rose Docherty was detained in February while standing outside the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow, holding a sign that read: “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want.” Her peaceful presence was deemed to breach the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act, introduced last year to prohibit any activity considered capable of influencing women seeking abortions within 200 metres of clinics.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has now confirmed it will take no further action. Ms Docherty, who had refused to accept a formal warning because she believed it was “unjust,” welcomed the decision, calling it “a victory for common sense.”
“I just did what I thought was right,” she told BBC Scotland News. “To be warned for standing on the streets of Glasgow offering to have a conversation if anyone wants to speak, it just seems preposterous.”
Ms Docherty insists there was “no need” for new legislation, arguing that existing laws already allow police to deal with genuine cases of harassment or intimidation. “There is nothing intimidatory or harassing about an elderly woman standing by the roadside offering to lend a listening ear,” she said.
SPUC strongly criticise buffer zones as an attack on freedom of speech and the right to offer help to vulnerable women. This case highlights the dangers of criminalising compassion. Peaceful volunteers, many of them elderly, are being treated like criminals simply for offering information and support. The dropping of charges against Ms Docherty is welcome, but the law remains deeply unjust.
Buffer zones prevent women from hearing about alternatives to abortion at a time when they may feel pressured or coerced.
The Scottish Government insists the law is necessary to protect women from “unacceptable abuse,” but critics maintain it is an overreach that silences peaceful dissent.
As Ms Docherty reflects on her experience, she remains undeterred. “Life moves on,” she said, “but I won’t be constrained by fear. Sometimes you have to stand up for what’s right.”
For pro-life campaigners, her case is a reminder that the battle over free speech and the right to offer help at the clinic gates is far from over.
