Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023

Establishment of safe access zone

4.—(1) A safe access zone is established for protected premises in accordance with this section.

(2) Except as provided by subsection (3), the safe access zone for protected premises consists of—

(a) the protected premises; and

(b) the public area outside the protected premises which lies within 100 metres from each entrance to, or exit from, those premises.

(3) If the operator of any protected premises is of the opinion that the public area mentioned in subsection (2)(b) is not adequate to afford safe access to the premises for protected persons, the operator may give notice to the Department that it wishes the public area so mentioned to be extended by a specified distance not exceeding 150 metres.

(4) On receipt of a notice under section 1(3) or section 2(4) relating to any premises, the Department must include an entry relating to those premises in the list maintained by it under section 7; and a safe access zone is established in relation to those premises on publication of that entry under section 7.

(5) On receipt of a notice under subsection (3) relating to any premises, the Department must amend any entry in the list published by it under section 7 which relates to the premises; and the extended safe access zone is established in relation to those premises on publication of the amended entry under section 7.

(6) In this section “public area” means a place to which the public has access, without payment, as of right.