Belfast Court hears Pastor Clive Johnston’s appeal

Pastor Clive Johnston’s appeal against his conviction for preaching on John 3:16 in an abortion buffer zone was heard in Belfast today.

Clive’s lawyers attended the Court of Appeal and argued that key points of law have not been suitably addressed in his case. In particular, that buffer zone legislation does not outlaw gospel preaching where abortion has not even been mentioned.

The Institute is supporting Clive’s case because of the threat posed to freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Left unchallenged, the District Court ruling risks turning an ‘abortion buffer zone’ into a ‘Gospel censorship zone’.

No gospel-free zones

Clive said: “Nobody should be criminalised for expressing the basic truths of their faith. I preached an open-air gospel sermon on a Sunday morning, about the love that God has for all people. In Northern Ireland, of all places, surely we are allowed to express such a good and hopeful message. Yet I was convicted of a crime just for this.

“I have confidence that my right to speak freely and express my faith is protected under UK and international law. Likewise, it is the right of anybody in the area to be allowed to stop and listen to me if they would like to, or indeed to carry on without listening if preferred. It is not the role of the state to decide when and where somebody should be allowed to engage with the Christian message. The police should not be prohibiting peaceful expressions of faith.

“I’m grateful for the work of my legal team and for The Christian Institute’s support in appealing my case today. I trust that a positive outcome will help secure much-needed public assurance that there are no gospel-free zones in Northern Ireland.”

‘A wrong ruling’

The Institute’s Director Ciarán Kelly thanked all those who have been praying and sending messages of encouragement to Pastor Clive Johnston.

Speaking outside the court in Belfast, Ciarán said: “There should be no no-go areas for the Gospel in Northern Ireland or anywhere else.”

He continued: “We’re here at the Court of Appeal in Belfast today to make the case that the law on abortion buffer zones does not extend to preaching the Gospel. Clive Johnson has been convicted and fined for preaching John 3:16 – ‘For God so loved the world’ – near a hospital in Coleraine. He didn’t mention abortion, he had no placards, but he’s been fined and convicted.

“I think that’s wrong, and we’re at the court here today to show why that was such a wrong ruling.”

Wider implications

Following Clive Johnston’s conviction, questions have been asked as to what else might be deemed criminal behaviour.

When asked about the implications of legislation for clergy and pastors “going about their normal day-to-day work in hospitals”, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said that prayer, Scripture reading and carrying a Bible within a designated area ‘may constitute an offence’.

The Chief Constable explained that where a pastoral visitor is invited to pray with a patient receiving end-of-life care, for example, “and that patient is not attending for abortion services, this activity falls outside the scope of the Act”.

But, he added, where “it takes place within a Safe Access Zone, the lawfulness of that activity will depend on whether it could reasonably influence, cause distress to, or impede a protected person nearby”.