SCOTT BEVAN: Christian groups have expressed concern about the Tasmanian Parliament passing a bill to make it illegal for people to protest within 150 metres of an abortion clinic. The new protest laws are designed to protect the women seeking terminations.

Christian groups say it curtails free speech and they might consider a High Court challenge.

Felicity Ogilvie reports.

FELICITY OGILVIE: In an Australian first the Tasmanian Government has made it illegal for people to protest within 150 metres of an abortion clinic. The laws cover any activity that protests, threatens, intimidates, films or harasses women who are seeking to terminate their pregnancy.

The Tasmanian director of the Australian Christian Lobby, Mark Brown, is reacting by assessing options for legal action.

MARK BROWN: It's early days and obviously we just need to assess options. We're not, certainly not making obvious stance going down any High Court challenge line but the point we want to make is that we believe that people should have the right to express things that they're concerned about in a democracy.

It's part of freedom of speech and particularly on an issue where the rights of the unborn, something that's very important in people's minds, they should have an ability to protest.

FELICITY OGILVIE: In a statement to the ABC the Health Minister, Michelle O'Byrne, says:

EXTRACT FROM STATEMENT BY MICHELLE O'BYRNE: This is an Australian first and it is incredibly important because a woman must be able to access a medical procedure without being subject to intimidation, stigmatisation, vilification or any other form of harassment.

This is not about impeding on anyone's right to free expression; it is about protecting women facing an incredibly difficult and complex decision made in circumstances no stranger can or should presume to understand.

FELICITY OGILVIE: Jim Collins is the Tasmanian officer for the group Family Voice Australia.

JIM COLLINS: I'm aware that from time to time there have been silent, peaceful, respectful, prayerful vigils outside some of the clinics, but I think the concern is not how can you stop what I'm doing; it's more why, why have such an overreaction to this when if there are already harassment laws covering this. There are already other statutes in place that if anyone was to do anything that was wildly criminal in speaking into this area that the law already exists to control that.

I guess the concerns of many people are that this is a move in the wrong direction for freedom of speech and freedom of conscious in such a divisive issue.

FELICITY OGILVIE: It's unclear what the outcome will be if Christian groups decide to challenge the new protest laws in the High Court.

Constitutional law expert Professor George Williams from the University of New South Wales thinks a High Court challenge would fail.

GEORGE WILLIAMS: And in this case I think what the Government would argue is they would likely recognise that political speech is affected. Of course, once you're dealing with protest, that does deal with the sort of thing that is protected, but they would say nonetheless, the law is not invalid because it's a reasonable restriction and they would say it's quite a reasonable policy thing to do - to say that women seeking terminations should not be faced with significant protests; that they arguably are not appropriate given the services being provided.

FELICITY OGILVIE: But a constitutional ;aw expert from the University of Tasmania, Michael Stokes, thinks a High Court challenge would have a good chance of success.

MICHAEL STOKES: Really, you've got a two stage test when you are looking at something like this. The first one is to ask whether there is a restriction on freedom of speech, and I think there is, and you might argue well it's only minimal because they can still protest you know, more than 150 metres away.

But it actually does stop them targeting their audience, if you like, and being able to target your audience with a protest is often quite important.

FELICITY OGILVIE: In the meantime, anyone who disobeys the new laws about protesting within 150 metres of an abortion clinic in Tasmania faces a fine and up to a year in jail.

SCOTT BEVAN: Felicity Ogilvie reporting from Hobart.