- Gillian Mackay MSP claims visible prayer by a window at home could be a crime if within 200m from an abortion facility, depending on who is “passing the window”
- Comments come weeks after Vance called out Scotland’s censored “buffer zones” – Mackay previously described his concerns about prayer at home as “misinformation”
Gillian Mackay, interviewed on BBC “Scotcast” podcast this week. Full episode available on BBC iPlayer, clip begins 24.07
EDINBURGH (26th February 2025) – Gillian Mackay MSP, the politician who authored the Scottish “buffer zones” law which forbids “influence” within 200m of an abortion facility, has admitted that prayer by a window in one’s own home could be an offence – depending on who is passing by.
Speaking to BBC’s “Scotcast” podcast this week, the Green Party Politician repeatedly denied that prayer was being criminalised under the law. But when asked if “performative prayer” with “clasped hands”, visible from a window, could be prosecuted, she responded: “well, that depends on who’s passing by the window…”
“Clearly, the “buffer zones” law is fundamentally flawed when it comes to undermining basic freedoms of speech, thought, and religion.”
US Vice President JD Vance recently highlighted the censorial nature of the law, referring to letters that had been sent to people’s homes warning them of the laws being put in place:
“…this last October, just a few months ago, the Scottish government began distributing letters to citizens whose houses lay within so-called “safe access zones,” warning them that even private prayer within their own homes may amount to breaking the law.
Naturally, the government urged readers to report any fellow citizens suspected guilty of thoughtcrime.
In Britain, and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat.”
Was J.D. Vance correct?
Mackay claimed that the Vice President was spreading “shameless misinformation”, and in the same Scotcast interview, pointed out that “nowhere in that letter does it say private prayer.”
The letter refers to a prohibition on activities that would “intentionally or recklessly…influence somebody’s decision to access” an abortion facility.
When pressed as to whether visibly praying from a window could meet the threshold of “influence”, Mackay admitted that it would depend on who was passing by the window at the point of prayer.
Commenting on the interview, Lois McLatchie Miller, Scottish spokesperson for ADF International, said:
“Clearly, the “buffer zones” law is fundamentally flawed when it comes to undermining basic freedoms of speech, thought, and religion. We all stand firmly against harassment, which has been illegal for many years – but the law goes much too far in preventing people from praying, or holding consensual conversations, in large public areas of Scotland.
“Gillian Mackay confirmed that “performative” prayer could be a crime, “depending on who is passing by the window”. The accusation of prayer being “performative” rather than genuine lies in the eye of the beholder. Who are the police to doubt the genuineness of somebody’s faith, based on where they are located, and the position of their hands?
“ J.D. Vance was right to raise concerns – this law is an illiberal travesty.”
74-year-old grandmother arrested in Glasgow "buffer zone"
On 19th February, a 74-year-old woman was arrested for holding a sign in a Glasgow “buffer zone” reading: “coercion is a crime, here to talk, if you want.”
The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 made “coercive control” illegal, recognising the profoundly harmful effects it can have on individuals and society. Over 6,640 charges related to this behaviour have been reported to the Crown Office between April 2019 and 2023. 14% of women have undergone coercion when it comes to making a decision about abortion – that’s about 1 in 7.
Commenting on her arrest, Rose Docherty said:
“I held a sign that read “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, if you want”. Everyone has the right to a consensual conversation. I simply made myself available for a chat, should anybody like to approach me and speak about any matter on their mind. I didn’t breach the buffer zone – I didn’t harass, intimidate, or even seek to influence anyone. I simply stood there, available to speak with love and compassion.
“It isn’t right to deprive anyone of the right to take up my offer to talk. And it isn’t right to censor zones within our country from thoughts, beliefs and conversations that authorities may simply disapprove of. Buffer zones aren’t “pro-choice” – they deprive women of the choice to have a chat outside the clinic. That isn’t right.”
Images for free use in print or online in relation to this story only
PICTURED: Rose Docherty; Lois McLatchie Miller, ADF International
