UK High Court Upholds Ban on Prayer Inside Abortion Buffer Zone
A high court in the United Kingdom has ruled it is lawful to criminalize prayer and Bible reading within a buffer zone around an abortion clinic.
Lord Justice Warby and Justice Thornton ruled there was a "right" to abortion in English law, despite abortion outside of the 1967 Abortion Act remaining a crime. Therefore praying and reading scriptures in a buffer zone surrounding an abortion clinic in Bournemouth would be a crime punishable with a fine and six months in prison.
The ruling followed a legal challenge by two Christian groups, Christian Concern, and Livia Tossici-Bolt, a former clinical scientist, who leads 40 Days for Life Bournemouth.
As CBN News reported, the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) was passed last year by the Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole city councils.
PSPOs give police officers authority to address protesting, graphic, verbal, or written conduct, prayer, or counseling that engages in acts of approving or disapproving issues related to abortion services.
In this case, the PSPO protects a 150-meter area surrounding the British Pregnancy Advisory Group's (BPAS) clinic in Ophir Road, Bournemouth.
The buffer zone in Bournemouth is unique in that the way it has been drawn up by the local authority means that the exclusion zone covers both public spaces and private homes.
Christian Concern and Tossici-Bolt challenged the protection order claiming says the buffer zone criminalizes any ministry work by the 40 Days for Life Bournemouth.
"There is no evidence whatsoever to show that anyone is being harassed outside abortion clinics. The truth is quite the opposite. It is the abortion supporters who intimidate and harass and do not permit any dissenting viewpoint," Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said in a statement.
"Buffer zones are an oppressive part of the current culture which force consent and silence dissent. The saddest thing of all is that we are actually talking about human lives. We stand with 40 Days for Life as they seek justice in this case," She added.
Politicians and other campaigners have described the zones as "deeply draconian measures that criminalize free speech and prevent vulnerable women from access to alternatives to abortion, which the ministry of 40 Days for Life provides," Christian Concern explained.
Police Officers Watching for People Who Pray?
Since the launch of the buffer zone, there have been reports of "prayer patrol officers" from the council monitoring the zone who have ordered volunteers to move on accusing them of "intimidation, harassment or distress" simply because they were praying.
In response to the ruling, Tossici-Bolt said, "Everyone must have the freedom to pray quietly in a public place. Everyone must have the freedom to give and to receive information. I, and my group of volunteers, would never dream of doing something that causes intimidation and harassment and I find extremely concerning that unfounded accusations of such reprehensible behavior have been used for ideological gains to discredit genuine humanitarian endeavors. We have already been intimidated out of exercising our freedom of thought and of expression, but have continued to defend these fundamental rights with peaceful conduct."
"We are very disappointed by the judge's ruling and will continue to support women in crisis pregnancies and will continue to fight for justice," she added.
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