PSNI: ‘Carrying a Bible in hospital may be illegal’

Routine hospital pastoral ministry may fall foul of abortion buffer zone laws, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has warned.

Following the conviction of retired pastor Clive Johnston for preaching the Gospel within one of Northern Ireland’s controversial abortion censorship zones, questions have been asked as to what else might be deemed criminal behaviour. Pastor Clive is appealing his conviction.

When asked on 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’.

End-of-life care

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”.

He stated: “As with prayer, scripture reading conducted at the express request of a patient or their family, with a patient not attending for abortion services, is not the conduct this legislation was designed to address.

“However, the same principle applies – if such activity takes place within a Safe Access Zone and a reasonable person would recognise it as capable of indirectly influencing or distressing a protected person, an offence may be committed, regardless of the consensual nature of the activity between the clergy member and their patient.”

He said that carrying a Bible “through public areas of hospitals” or providing pastoral ministry “within wards or hospital grounds” may also be illegal under the Act.

‘Deeply troubling’

Mr Johnston, who is being supported by The Christian Institute, held an open-air service on the fringes of the buffer zone around Coleraine’s Causeway Hospital last year.

His actions – preaching “For God so loved the world” while standing near a large cross inside the zone – were deemed “reckless” as to whether they would ‘influence’ someone accessing the hospital’s abortion services. He did not mention abortion, nor were there banners or placards.

Speaking outside court following his conviction, the grandfather of seven said: “This 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.

“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.”