Chamber and committees

That is helpful.

I have questions on the next theme.

I want to ask about criminal offences and penalties in the bill. I appreciate that that might not be your area of expertise, but I would value your opinions.

Some opponents of the bill have raised concerns that the behaviour that is captured in section 4, on criminal offences, is wide-ranging and unclear. Do you have any views on the clarity of the offences, as they are described in the bill?

Would Police Scotland have any concerns about enforcing legislation that was about what somebody was thinking?

Do you think that the offences in the bill have a lower evidential requirement than that of existing offences, such those relating to harassment or threatening behaviour?

Thank you. That is helpful.

Section 5 would create an offence relating to behaviour from property that is within a safe access zone but not covered by it, where that could be seen or heard from the safe access zone. Are there any existing offences that are similar in nature? Do you have any opinion on the proportionality of that measure?

We heard from the previous witnesses about how even silent praying can cause distress and anxiety and can impede people going into clinics. How would a police officer determine what somebody was praying about silently?

I want to press you on that a little, and perhaps bring in Professor Cameron. The bill will include people who do not have placards and people who are silently doing their vigil or praying, or whatever they want to call it. The issue is still about women not having to walk through a group of individuals to access their healthcare. Do you have a comment on that, Professor Cameron?

I want to follow up on that a bit. I totally acknowledge that the two activities are different and have different aims. However, I am reflecting on what Professor Cameron said about women perhaps feeling uncomfortable that there might be media attention and cameras. Walking past any group of people could be distressing, no matter what those people are doing. Mr Poolman, will you expand on that? Would union members picket a sexual and reproductive health clinic?

That is helpful.

We have alluded in this meeting to the various groups of citizens who access sexual and reproductive health services. It would be helpful to understand who is most impacted by stigma and by being put off. I am thinking back to when the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005 was passed by Parliament. Many minority ethnic women whom we spoke to at that time found it difficult to access sexual and reproductive health clinics, just because of the breadth of services that they were offering. That group of individuals comes into my head when I think about people being put off. Can you tell us about other groups?

Good morning. Thanks for being with us. I have questions about criminal offences and penalties, which are probably mostly for Gerry Corrigan and Simon Brown, but I am happy to hear from other witnesses.

Opponents of the bill have raised concern that the behaviour that is captured in section 4 is wide ranging and unclear. What are your views on the clarity of the offence?