Northern Ireland Court Fines Pastor Clive Johnston £450 for Preaching in 100-Meter Hospital Buffer Zone
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 11
Northern Ireland Court Fines Pastor Clive Johnston £450 for Preaching in 100-Meter Hospital Buffer Zone
9 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 11
Coleraine Magistrates' Court convicted 78-year-old retired pastor Clive Johnston on May 7 and fined him £450 for preaching near Causeway Hospital in July 2024.
Judge Peter King found Johnston had breached Northern Ireland's safe access zone law by "influencing" people within 100 meters of an abortion facility and by failing to comply with a direction to leave.
Body-camera footage showed police warning Johnston that preaching or filming in the marked zone could amount to an offense even if he said he was there to preach God's word.
Johnston, backed by the Christian Institute, says the sermon did not mention abortion and is considering an appeal, arguing the ruling criminalizes peaceful Christian witness and narrows free speech.
The case adds to wider scrutiny of UK buffer-zone enforcement, with the U.S. State Department saying it is monitoring such cases and calling similar prosecutions a threat to religious liberty.
Was the pastor fined for preaching God's love, or for challenging a law designed to protect vulnerable women?
When a Bible verse is deemed illegal 'influence', what does this mean for the future of free speech in the United Kingdom?
How can states protect patient privacy without creating a chilling effect on public religious expression?