A pro-life campaigner arrested for alleged silent prayer in an abortion clinic buffer zone has been left in "significant legal uncertainty" after a court hearing scheduled for Thursday was cancelled.
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested near the BPAS Robert Clinic in Kings Norton, Birmingham, in December.
The clinic is the subject of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) banning pro-life activity within 150 metres.
Ms Vaughan-Spruce is charged with "protesting and engaging in an act that is intimidating to service users", although ADF UK, which is defending her, said that the abortion clinic was closed on the day she was arrested.
She was due in court on 2 February but the hearing did not go ahead after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) wrote to the Justice's chief executive indicating that the charges were being dropped.
ADF UK has said that despite this, the CPS also "made it clear" that the charges could be reinstated.
Jeremiah Igunnubole, Legal Counsel for ADF UK, said, "The Crown Prosecution Service has written to the Justice's Chief Executive under section 23 of the Prosecution of Offences Act.
"The effect of the correspondence is that there will be no court hearing on 2 February. Although the CPS has indicated it would drop the charges, it made it clear that they could be reinstated.
"This leaves Isabel in significant legal uncertainty and her priority is to obtain legal clarity on what, if any, liability she may incur in the future based on the charges laid against her.
"ADF UK continue to support Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, because nobody should be criminalised simply for praying inside their own mind. We will update Isabel's supporters about upcoming developments."
