Why is Scotland the only part of the UK not to decriminalise abortion?

As women’s reproductive rights come under increasing attack from populists, our Writer at Large meets the campaigners demanding that the SNP modernise the law in Scotland

By Neil Mackay
Sep 6, 2026

Lucy Grieve has become one of the leading campaigners for women’s rights in Scotland – and she hasn’t hit 30 yet. She was a student when she set up Back Off Scotland, the campaign that led to the establishment of buffer zones outside abortion clinics to protect women and healthcare staff from religious protesters.

…Today, Grieve is at the heart of the Let’s Change The Act campaign, which aims to modernise and reform Scotland’s abortion laws. Campaigners says the law is outdated and discriminatory.

Continued: https://archive.is/jdJxc
(https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26525203.scotland-part-uk-not-decriminalise-abortion/)

Scotland – Arbroath High School teacher ‘fired over sharing abortion views’

July 13, 2026
By Donald Erskine

A legal battle is underway after a substitute teacher claims she was fired for "sharing her views on abortion with a class."

Sarah Morse, originally from the United States of America, was teaching at Arbroath High School after briefly stating her "Roman Catholic view" on abortion in response to pupils’ questions.

On November 19, she was working as a cover teacher with an S3 class when pupils began asking her informal questions about being American, such as about food, school systems and lockers, which she routinely answers at the start of classes. Morse says the pupils "realised she would give her opinion on more controversial things" and one pupil asked the 66-year-old what she thought about abortion, to which she said she replied: “I am a faithful Roman Catholic, and I am against it.”

Continued: https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26275162.arbroath-high-school-teacher-fired-sharing-abortion-views/

14.07.2026

Society for the Protection of Unborn Children

Europe

Scotland

Anti-choice

Update on abortion law reform in Scotland

The Scottish government is planning to reform abortion law. An expert group was set up in 2024 and its recommendations were published in November 2025.

Royal College of Nursing
25 Jun 2026

The Scottish government asked key stakeholders, including the RCN, to share views on the 36 recommendations that set out what reforms the expert group think the Scottish government should make. Our feedback will be used by the Scottish government to inform their next steps, and we expect the government to publish its proposals for abortion reform later this year or early 2027.

Most of the 36 recommendations made by the expert group are in keeping with RCN’s positions on abortion law reform. Our positions focus on the right to choose; access to safe care; the right to conscientious objection except in an emergency; and that abortion is governed by regulatory not criminal law.

Continued: https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/news/abortion-law-reform-250626

25.06.2026

Commentary

abortion law reform

ANdrew Jackson

Royal College of Nursing

Scotland – “A threat to women”: fears raised as anti-abortion MSP claims key Holyrood role

She compared abortion to spaying feral cats

15 June 2026
by Rab Armour

Equality activists are alarmed after a Reform MSP with "extreme" anti-abortion views became chair of the Health Committee at the Scottish Parliament.

Helen McDade MSP will steer consultations and hearings on highly sensitive legislation during the current parliamentary term, including a potential bill to enact the recommendations of the abortion law reform expert group.

Continued: https://tfn.scot/news/fears-anti-abortion-msp-will-skew-agenda

15.06.2026

News

anti-choice extremism

anti-choice misogyny

British Pregnancy Advisory Serviceu

Helen McDade

Humanist Society Scotland

SCOTLAND – Sheriff deserts first abortion buffer zone prosecution after finding Crown failed to specify all elements of offence

11 May 2026

A Glasgow sheriff has deserted proceedings pro loco et tempore in the first prosecution raised in Scotland for a contravention of abortion buffer zone legislation after finding that the complaint failed to libel two necessary elements of the offence and in consequence constituted an unlawful interference with the accused’s rights under Article 10 ECHR.

Rose Docherty, aged 75, was charged under section 4 of the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act 2024 for allegedly displaying placards within a safe zone for the purpose of influencing the decision of persons to access, provide, and facilitate the provision of abortion services at the protected premises. Objection was taken by the accused to the relevancy of the charges in addition to a compatibility challenge per article 10 ECHR.

Continued; https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/sheriff-deserts-first-abortion-buffer-zone-prosecution-after-finding-crown-failed-to-specify-all-elements-of-offence

11.05.2026

Commentary

Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act

anti-choice protesters

Scotland – Woman charged over anti-abortion protest has case dropped

Apr 28, 2026
BBC

A woman who was arrested and charged for taking part in an anti-abortion protest outside a hospital in Glasgow has had her case dismissed.

Rose Docherty, 75, became the first person charged under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act after holding up a placard outside the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in May, and again in September.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czj2ygzldgdo

28.04.2026

News

Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act

anti-choice harassment

anti-choice protesters

buffer zone laws

Dr Greg Irwin

Queen Elizabeth University hospital

Scotland – Leading anti-abortion figure standing for Reform UK in May elections

April 13, 2026
By Steph Brawn

A WARNING that reproductive rights "are not safe" with Reform UK has been issued after it emerged a leading anti-abortion figure is standing for the party in England's local elections. Lois McLatchie Miller is standing for Nigel Farage's party in the affluent London area of Maida Vale next month.

McLatchie Miller has worked for years for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) – a Christian group known for its work overturning abortion rights in the US as well as opposing LGBT+ rights – and has made regular appearances on GB News and Talk TV.

Continued: https://archive.is/Eo0Mq
(https://www.thenational.scot/news/26017330.leading-anti-abortion-figure-standing-reform-uk-may-elections/)

13.04.2026

News

Alliance Defending Freedom

buffer zone laws

Gillian Mackay

Lois McLatchie Miller

Nigel Farage

Reform UK

safe access zones

Southern Poverty Law Center

Anti-abortion group active in Scotland withholds size of US funding

Apr 3, 2025
By James Walker

AN anti-abortion group active in Scotland has withheld details about the amount of US funding it receives.

The National previously revealed that ADF International – one of several groups which has actively looked to challenge Scotland’s abortion buffer zones legislation – received £1,119,975 in 2024 from its US parent entity Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), according to Companies House.

This represented a 281% increase in just two years, as it received £398,000 in 2022. Now, in newly published accounts, the organisation reveals that it has received £1,409,342 in total in 2025 – a hefty increase of over £150k.

Continued: https://archive.is/MAKTm
(https://www.thenational.scot/news/25992604.anti-abortion-group-active-scotland-withholds-size-us-funding/)

03.04.2026

News

ADF International

Alliance Defending Freedom

buffer zone law

Gillian Mackay

safe access zones

Southern Poverty Law Center

Europe

Scotland

Anti-choice

Scotland – MSP writes to Google over free ads for anti-abortion groups

Dec 28, 2025
By James Walker

AN MSP has written to Google after The Sunday National revealed that the tech giant has been giving free advertising to anti-abortion groups targeting pregnant women in Scotland.

Our investigation found that several crisis pregnancy helplines covertly run by anti-abortion organisations benefitted from the Google Ad Grants programme in 2025 – a scheme which gives nonprofits up to £7000 per month of free search advertising. This included Life, which ran ads offering free pregnancy tests (below) while simultaneously promising to “offer support while you wait”.

https://archive.is/9PqBT
(https://www.thenational.scot/news/25724191.msp-writes-google-free-ads-anti-abortion-groups/)

28.12.2025

News

anti-choice ads

crisis pregnancy helplines

Google ads for anti-choice groups

Anti-abortion group ‘gives talks and plays’ at Scottish schools

Dec 28, 2025
By James Walker

CONCERNS have been raised over an anti-abortion group giving talks and plays at Scottish schools. The Scottish arm of The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), which has received US funding, claims in its latest filings with Companies House that it has “provided educational talks and drama productions” to school children across the country.

The Sunday National sent an FOI request to every council in Scotland, with two (Inverclyde and East Dunbartonshire) so far confirming that the group has recently visited schools in their area.

https://archive.is/grEGB
(https://www.thenational.scot/news/25724244.anti-abortion-group-gives-talks-plays-scottish-schools/)

28.12.2025