A claim was made this week that that further extreme anti-abortion protests were unlikely.

Chris Robertshaw (Douglas East) made the assertion as he questioned the need for a proposal to introduce a law creating safety zones around areas where abortion services would be provided.

He argued, with abortion set to be reformed, that there was unlikely to be a repeat of the graphic style of protests by pro-life group Abort67, who have outraged many with their tactics.

But many other MHKs rejected this and said it was precisely because of the tactics used by Abort67 that they had been convinced of the need for a law to protect patients and medical practitioners.

Abort67 displayed large placards with graphic images purporting to be of aborted foetuses in a variety of locations, including outside Noble’s Hospital. They also used bodycams to film people they approached.

Mr Robertshaw condemned that style of protest.

But he claimed: ’Essentially it was influenced from activity across in an effort to persuade legislators in the Isle of Man that they did not want to take a particular route.

’But it was a moment in time. Once the new law is arrived at, then that will be passed by and the Isle of Man will settle back down again.’

However, Ralph Peake (Douglas North), who is seeking to add a provision to the Abortion Reform Bill that would introduce ’access zones’, warned: ’The chief constable has expressed his concern and, based on patterns in the UK and other countries, the protest will escalate and become unpleasant with focus shifting to hospitals, homes of staff and patients directly.’

Health Minister David Ashford said, initially, he had thought the zones would not be required, but subsequent events had changed his mind.

’I am not convinced it is a moment in time that will not repeat itself,’ he said. ’We have seen in the UK protests outside various clinics and there is no reason to suggest that we either will not have other people come over, or in fact home-grown protests outside clinics here.’

Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey) said he too had changed his mind and now believed the zones were necessary. The proposal would send out a strong message, ’exactly as the chief minister did when he tabled amendments to prevent sex-selective abortion in the island, to say this is not acceptable in the Isle of Man’.

Dr Alex Allinson (Ramsey), the man behind the Abortion Reform Bill, said Abort67 had made clear it would continue with protests after any law change and he warned patients and practitioners could be targeted directly.

Mr Peake’s proposed new clause aimed to create ’access zones’ for hospitals and other premises where abortion services could be provided and also create similar zones around the homes of medical practitioners providing the service, or the surgeries they work at.

These zones would have restrictions that would prevent anti-abortion protests or ’engagement in pavement interference’. The clause would also ban people from repeatedly or continuously observing or lingering in the area or harassing anyone, taking photographs of people or filming them.

But, while many supported the aim of the clause, some expressed concern about the potential for unintended consequences from the initial draft.

After legislative drafter Howard Connell suggested a number of those concerns raised could be addressed by changes to the wording, Mr Peake decided to go back to the drawing board and will bring forward a new version, possibly for the March 27 sitting of the Keys.

Some parts of the bill, including abortion on request up to 14 weeks, and on serious medical or social grounds from 15 to 24 weeks, have already been approved.

For more coverage of this week’s House of Keys abortion debate, see this week’s Manx Independent, which is in the shops now.