Pastor Clive Johnston to appeal conviction for preaching John 3:16

A retired pastor’s appeal against his conviction for preaching on John 3:16 in one of Northern Ireland’s abortion censorship zones will be heard on 15 October.

Clive Johnston, 78, was convicted at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on 7 May 2026 and fined £450 for holding a small open-air church service in a ‘Safe Access Zone’ near Causeway Hospital in Coleraine.

At the appeal, lawyers for Pastor Johnston will argue that the District Judge failed to properly recognise Clive Johnston’s rights to freedom of speech and freedom of religion under the European Convention. The Institute is supporting his legal action.

Following the conviction, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) announced that hospital chaplains and clergy risk committing a criminal offence if they carry a Bible through a public area of a hospital, or pray with patients on request, in case somebody is “influenced” about an unrelated abortion.

‘Preaching is not illegal’

Ahead of his appeal, Clive Johnston said: “We held a small, open air Sunday service near a hospital. We made no reference whatsoever to the issue of abortion. And yet the buffer zones law is so broad that holding a Sunday service has been found to be a criminal offence.

“At 78 years of age I find myself, for the first time, convicted of a crime.

“I believe there shouldn’t be any public spaces in Northern Ireland where you can be prosecuted and convicted simply for preaching the Gospel. If someone is behaving violently or engaging in harassment, then, absolutely, they should be prosecuted. But I wasn’t doing any of those things.

He added: “I am grateful to my legal team and to The Christian Institute for their support. We hope this appeal will clarify that this kind of peaceful Christian worship and preaching is not illegal under this legislation.”

Protecting freedom

Ciarán Kelly, Director of The Christian Institute, explained: “Clive Johnston’s appeal seeks to address fundamental questions about freedom of religion and freedom of speech in Northern Ireland.

“Buffer zones were ostensibly introduced to protect people accessing abortion from harassment and obstruction. Yet Clive was convicted after preaching from John 3:16 during a peaceful open-air service, without ever once mentioning abortion.”

He continued: “The issue before the court is whether the legislation can be applied so broadly that peaceful Christian worship in a public place becomes a criminal offence. We will continue to support Clive as he challenges this ruling and seeks to protect the freedom of Christians to express their faith.”