Pastor Clive Johnston convicted over preaching in Northern Ireland abortion buffer zone
Updated
Updated · The Christian Institute · May 7
Pastor Clive Johnston convicted over preaching in Northern Ireland abortion buffer zone
11 articles · Updated · The Christian Institute · May 7
The 78-year-old retired pastor was found guilty at Coleraine Magistrates over a 2024 open-air service near Causeway Hospital and faces a criminal record and £450 in fines.
Johnston, a former Baptist church leader backed by the Christian Institute, said the service made no reference to abortion and called the ruling a dark day for Christian freedom.
He is expected to appeal. The case tests Northern Ireland's 2023 safe access zone law, which critics say is being applied too broadly against religious speech.
How did a 78-year-old pastor's sermon result in his first-ever criminal conviction?
When does preaching the Gospel in a public space become a criminal act?