Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, 2017

Protecting a Woman's Right to Access Abortion Services Act, 2017
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Long title An Act to enact the Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, 2017 and to amend the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act in relation to abortion services
Citation	S.O. 2017, c. 19
Assented to	October 25, 2017
Legislative history
Bill title	Protecting a Woman's Right to Access Abortion Services Act
Bill citation	Bill 163
Introduced by	Yasir Naqvi, Attorney General of Ontario
First reading	October 4, 2017
Second reading	October 17, 2017
Third reading	October 25, 2017
Status: Current legislation

The Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, 2017 (French : Loi de 2017 sur l'accès sécuritaire aux services d'interruption volontaire de grossesse) is an act of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario relating to the legal protection of access to abortion.

It was enacted under the Protecting a Woman's Right to Access Abortion Services Act, 2017.

Background

The Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, 2017 was modelled on the Access to Abortion Services Act. ^[1]

Legislative passage

The only MLA who voted opposing the legislation was Jack MacLaren. ^[2]

Provisions

The act establishes a safe access zones with a radius of 50 metres around abortion clinics and safe access zones with a radius of 150 metres around the homes of staff. ^{[2] [3]}

The protection applies irrespective of whether the facilities provides either surgical or medical abortion, so it applies to pharmacies providing abortion medication. ^{[2] [4]}

Facilities must apply for the safe access zone to be implemented. ^[4]

Those convicted of violating the legislation would be fined CA$5,000 and could face a six-month prison sentence with up to CA$10,000 for multiple offences. ^{[3] [5]}

Further developments

In 2018, London Health Sciences Centre said they had no plans to make use of the legislation. ^[6]

References

1. Bashevkin, Sylvia (September 1, 2023). "Explaining Feminist Movement Impact: Provincial Abortion Policies in the Wake of Decriminalization, 1988–2018". Canadian Journal of Political Science. 56 (3): 504–524. doi: 10.1017/S0008423923000227 . ISSN   0008-4239.
2. Connolly, Amanda (October 25, 2017). "Ontario passes abortion safe zone law". iPolitics. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
3. "Canada province to ban abortion protests outside clinics". BBC News. October 5, 2017. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
4. Rushowy, Kristin (February 1, 2018). "Abortion safe zones are now official in Ontario". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
5. Macnab, Aidan (January 5, 2018). "New Ontario law bans protests outside abortion providers". Canadian Lawyer. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
6. Lupton, Andrew (February 1, 2018). "New law allows for larger safe zone for abortion providers, but LHSC says they don't need it". CBC News. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2025.