Abortion Northern Ireland: Law to create protest buffer zones around abortion clinics finally gets Royal Assent

Royal Assent was the final stage of her private members bill becoming law and took place on Monday 6 February.

The bill was backed by most Stormont parties last year and survived an appeal to the Supreme Court from the Attorney General.

Green Party leader Councillor Mal O’Hara said he was delighted the bill had been given royal assent and would be enforceable by 7 May. He paid "huge kudos" to Ms Clare Bailey and her team and supporters.

"This means that the deliberate campaign of intimidation and harassment against women and people needing to use abortion services will come to an end. I look forward to people being able to access abortion and reproductive healthcare services legally, locally and safely," he added.

But Mark Lambe of Abolish Abortion NI said his group does not go to clinics to protest but to “show love, compassion, and support to their unborn neighbour”.

He claimed that the granting Royal Assent by King Charles III is "an assault on Christianity and makes a mockery of his future coronation vows".

He added: "For over 2000 years Kings and Queens have sought to silence and make illegal the sharing of the Gospel. In Acts 5 Peter and the apostles faced similar restrictions being placed on them. Their response was simple: "We must obey God rather than men."