'I’d go to prison over abortion buffer zones’

Rose Docherty was the first person charged with allegedly breaking Scotland’s buffer zone law, banning protests near abortion clinics.

In an exclusive interview, Martin asks the 74-year-old if she was deliberately testing the new legislation before she was handcuffed by police in February 2025. And Rose tells us why she is refusing to accept a formal warning from the authorities.

You can listen to our previous episode about Rose’s arrest, featuring Green MSP Gillian Mackay, who campaigned for restrictions on anti-abortion vigils, on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0028905.

Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins.

Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]

Scotcast

The BBC's Scottish news podcast, hosted by Martin Geissler. Conversation with trusted journalists and experts about the country's biggest stories.

• No. of episodes: 78
• Latest episode: 2025-05-22
• News

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