Abortion case could impact free speech

Two Christian pro-life campaigners have appeared in court this week over a protest they staged outside an abortion clinic.

Andy Stephenson and Kathryn Sloane held signs outside the publically funded BPAS abortion clinic in Brighton last June showing the effect of abortion on the unborn.

They had staged a silent protest outside the clinic since 2007, only explaining their views if women entering the clinic initiated the conversation.

The pair were arrested by police after refusing to take their signs down and were later charged under the Public Order Act, which makes it an offence to display signs or “other visible representation that is threatening, abusive, or insulting” or “likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress”.

They pleaded ‘not guilty’ at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, arguing that the banners are “necessary to educate pregnant girls and women against the ‘misleading’ information given at the BPAS clinic”.

Mr Stephenson, a father-of-three from Worthing in East Sussex, said: “We went to the Brighton clinic because we know what women are going in there for and it seems the obvious place to hold a protest.

"We had no desire to be arrested but we sincerely believe this is a legal form of demonstration. We were taken to the local police station where we were treated like common criminals."

He and Ms Sloane are part of the pro-life group Abort67, which is campaigning for abortion to be made illegal.

They are being supported in their case by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which said a woman changed her mind about aborting her 22-week-old baby after speaking to colleagues from the group who had turned up to continue the protest after Mr Stephenson and Ms Sloane had been taken away by police.

CLC Chief Executive Andrea Minichiello Williams said: “"This is a key test case for freedom of speech which could affect us all. Andy and Kathryn hold respectful demonstrations and they should not be denied the right to share their viewpoint to others. It is important that their freedom of speech is robustly defended.

"Free speech is vital in a democracy. It gives an opportunity for people to reflect and think again and perhaps change their minds having heard all the facts."