𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀’ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 ‘𝗯𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗲’ 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗴𝗼𝘄

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland welcomes Sheriff Stuart Reid’s dismissal of two criminal charges alleging “influencing” within a “buffer zone” against Rose Docherty, brought under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act 2024.

Mrs Docherty was arrested last September near the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow after offering a consensual conversation and holding a sign reading: “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want”.

On Monday, Sheriff Reid dismissed the case against Rose, finding that the Procurator Fiscal had “failed to disclose an offence known to the law of Scotland”.

Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said: “The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland welcomes the court’s decision to dismiss the charges brought against Rose Docherty. The ruling is an important reminder that peaceful, consensual conversation in a public place is protected, and that criminal offences must be clearly and properly made out on the evidence. This case should prompt a careful and thorough review of how “safe access zone” powers are applied so that they do not infringe fundamental rights.”