THE FACE LAW
The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994 (commonly
called the FACE law) protects
- crisis pregnancy centres,
- abortion clinics,
- physicians' offices,
- other reproductive health clinics,
- churches, mosques, synagogues and temples
"by establishing Federal criminal penalties and civil remedies for
certain violent, threatening, obstructive and destructive conduct that is
intended to injure, intimidate or interfere with persons." [from
Section 2]
It is not generally realized that the FACE law protects both
pro-choice abortion clinics, and pro-life crisis pregnancy centres.
It also assures people access to worship in religious buildings.
Section 3 (a) of the law prohibits persons using force or threat of
force or physical obstruction to:
- intentionally injure, intimidate or interfere with a person's
access to a reproductive health service
- does any of the above to a person providing a reproductive health
service
- does any of the above to a person seeking access to a religious
service
Threats to do any of the above are also prohibited by the law. The Face law
also applies to a person who intentionally damages or destroys property at
a reproductive health services clinic or religious building.
The FACE law does not "prohibit any expressive conduct (including
peaceful picketing or other peaceful demonstration)". [Section 3
(d)(1)].
The FACE law has often been associated with banning picketing within a
certain number of feet of an abortion clinic. This concept of providing
"buffer zones" is unrelated to the FACE law. Such zones have only been
created by judges who have used zones when granting injunctions.
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