A woman in Scotland faces criminal charges for displaying a sign offering conversation near an abortion clinic, potentially marking the first prosecution under new safe access zone legislation.



A 75-year-old woman in Glasgow faces criminal charges for holding a sign offering to chat with people near an abortion clinic, marking potentially the first prosecution under Scotland's buffer zone legislation.

Rose Docherty, who is pro-life, is facing two charges under the country’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) for displaying a placard reading "Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want" within 200 meters of Queen Elizabeth University Hospital between September 2024 and February 2025, The Sunday Times reported.

Supporting her defense is the legal group, ADF International, which argued that her actions were peaceful and consensual, according to The Christian Post.

“I should not be treated as a criminal for inviting people to chat with me – lending a listening ear," Docherty, who lives in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, said in a statement shared by ADF International.

“I simply stood, in love and compassion, offering consensual conversation to anyone who wanted to engage. Nobody should be criminalized just for offering a chat."

Docherty is charged with violating the legislation, which took effect in 2024, which criminalizes harassment or any form of influencing within 200 meters of abortion-providing facilities.

She was also arrested a second time in September when she again held the sign near an abortion clinic, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's Decision Magazine reported.

Although she was held in custody for several hours, Docherty was not provided a chair, even though she informed authorities that she had undergone a double hip replacement.

“It is not a crime to have a chat on the streets of Glasgow,” said Lois McLatchie Miller, Scottish spokesperson for ADF International. “This is not a case about harassment, intimidation or violent protest — this is simply a peaceful grandmother who held a sign offering to speak to anyone who would like to engage.”

The news of Docherty’s arrest was also criticized by the U.S. State Department, which stated to The Sunday Times that the incident was “another egregious example of the tyrannical suppression of free speech happening across Europe.”

“The United States will always speak out against these violations of fundamental rights,” it added.

During a speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, U.S. Vice President JD Vance referenced Scotland’s buffer zone law as an example of threats to free expression in Europe.

She appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on December 19 and did not enter a plea, and was ultimately released on bail with previous restrictive conditions rolled back. Docherty’s next scheduled hearing will take place on January 13, 2026.

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