A Northern Ireland pastor who was convicted for preaching the Bible inside an abortion clinic “buffer zone” is to appeal.
Clive Johnston, 78, was found guilty earlier this month of "influencing" people about abortion within 100m of Causeway Hospital in Coleraine.
When he was approached by police officers during the open-air service, held in in 2024, he was informed that he should preach within a "safe" space like a chaplaincy.
He was convicted on two charges under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act and fined £450 even though his sermon was on the topic of John 3:16 and did not mention abortion.
Speaking on his decision to appeal, Mr Johnston said the ruling "sets a deeply troubling precedent".
"I was not protesting abortion. I was peacefully preaching the Gospel, reading from the Bible, and pointing people to the hope found in Jesus Christ," he said.
“If this conviction is allowed to stand, it will signal that basic Christian witness and public expressions of faith can be criminalised simply because they take place in the wrong location.
“That should concern every person who values freedom of religion and freedom of expression, regardless of their views on abortion.”
He is being supported in his case by The Christian Institute, which warned that the ruling represents a "serious threat" to freedom of religion and freedom of speech across the UK.
Commenting on the appeal, The Christian Institute’s Simon Calvert said: “This case was never about harassment or intimidation - nobody has alleged Clive Johnston engaged in anything close to this form of behaviour.
"It is about whether the state can criminalise the peaceful expression of Christian faith in a public place under abortion buffer zones laws.
“The implications of this dangerous ruling reach far beyond one individual pastor in Northern Ireland. If public authorities can prosecute someone for reading the Bible and preaching on God’s love, then fundamental freedoms are at risk.”
The case of Mr Johnston, a retired church pastor, has attracted international attention, with the US State Department previously voicing the concern that such cases are an “egregious violation” of fundamental rights, and a “concerning departure” of UK authorities from the “shared values” which underpin the transatlantic relationship.
American evangelist Franklin Graham expressed shock at the verdict: “Pastor Johnston didn’t even mention abortion; he just preached the Gospel in a public space. I hope his legal team at [The Christian Institute] will have success in appealing this. Religious freedoms are being threatened not only in the UK, but here in the US, Canada, and around the world.”
Closer to home, former Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “It is extraordinary that in a Christian country the police think it is an offence to preach the word of God outside a hospital.”
