Scotland's Catholic bishops speak out against 'buffer zone' law

The Catholic Bishops of Scotland issued a statement on January 6 denouncing the country's "buffer zone" law, which limits free speech and prayer outside abortion facilities. In their letter, the bishops say it is "a law the Church believes curtails Scotland’s commitment to freedom of expression and conscience, and restricts critical voices from democratic debate in the public square."

Key Takeaways:

• The Catholic Bishops of Scotland have released a statement formally condemning the nation's buffer zone law.

• The law prohibits pro-life activity and prayer around abortion facilities.

• The bishops call the law "state overreach" and say it "curtails basic freedoms."

The Details:

In their statement, the Catholic bishops note their opposition to the law, calling it "state overreach."

"We oppose this law because it is disproportionate and undemocratic," they write. "It represents state overreach and curtails basic freedoms. The Church would similarly oppose legislation mandating buffer zones outside nuclear weapons facilities or refugee detention centres."

While the statement reaffirms that the Church "does not condone harassment or intimidation," the bishops point out that the law goes far beyond offering such protections; instead, it tramples on the rights of those who want nothing more than to provide support to women in need. They note that women in crisis pregnancies will not be offered information available to help them due to the law, saying, "A law supposedly designed to protect choice risks doing the opposite — eliminating one side of a conversation and one set of choices altogether."

The statement continues:

We support all those who, motivated by conscience and compassion, stand up for the right to life. It cannot be a crime to give our voice and our prayers to the unborn.

Christmas is the message that every human life has infinite dignity from its beginning. That truth is not confined to private thoughts.

A society confident in its values does not fear opposing voices. It does not criminalise silent prayer. It does not ask its police or judges to peer into the minds of its citizens. Scotland’s buffer zones law represents a profound shift in the relationship between the State and the individual — one that restricts free speech, free expression and freedom of religion in ways that should concern us all.

Zoom In:

The law in question, the The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act, creates "buffer zones" of a minimum of 200 meters around abortion facilities and hospitals, prohibiting not only free speech within those zones, but also the holding of signs and displays — even if those displays are on private property. When Parliament passed the law in 2024, it was called the "most extreme buffer zone law in the world."

Following the law's passage, residents living within a buffer zone area were reportedly sent a letter warning them that praying, even inside their own homes, could potentially be illegal. Residents were also encouraged to report their neighbors who they believed to be breaking the law.

The bishops addressed this in their letter, noting:

The law also potentially criminalises a person standing alone in a buffer zone without any visible expression of protest, but who is deemed by others to be offering a silent pro-life inspired prayer. Even Police Scotland expressed unease. Superintendent Gerry Corrigan told Parliament that policing thought is an area they “would stay clear of,” adding: “I do not think we could go down the road of asking people what they are thinking or what their thoughts are. That feels really uncomfortable.” Yet, this is the territory into which Scottish law now ventures. 

On February 14, 2025, Vice President J.D. Vance criticized the threats to free speech seen with such buffer zone legislation in both Scotland and the U.K., noting, “In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat.”

Days later, Scottish police arrested 74-year-old pro-life activist Rose Docherty for silently standing within a buffer zone area, holding a sign that read, “Coercion is a crime. Here to talk, only if you want.” Though the case was later dropped, Docherty was arrested yet again in September for the same "crime."

The Bottom Line:

The bishops ended their message noting that Christmas should serve as a reminder of the innocence of babies.

"As we look to the child in the manger this Christmas and Epiphany, we are reminded that babies do not have a voice of their own," they wrote. "It is a shame that the State has now also curtailed the voices of ordinary citizens who advocate for them within its borders."