A 78-year-old retired pastor has been convicted and fined after preaching a gospel sermon near a hospital in Northern Ireland, a case that has triggered fresh debate over religious freedom and free speech protections in the United Kingdom.
Clive Johnston, a retired pastor, told Fox News Digital he was shocked by the outcome of the case and never expected to end up with a criminal record for preaching.
“Naturally, I was deeply saddened by the verdict,” Clive Johnston told Fox News Digital. “At 78 years old, I never imagined I would leave a courtroom with a criminal conviction for preaching the Christian gospel. But beyond the personal impact, my overriding concern is what this says about the state of fundamental freedoms in our nation.”
On May 7, District Judge Peter King at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court found Johnston guilty of breaching a “safe access zone” outside Causeway Hospital in Coleraine on July 7, 2024.
Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act prohibits “influencing,” “preventing or impeding access,” or “causing harassment, alarm or distress” to a protected person within 100 meters (about 328 feet) of abortion service facilities.
Johnston was convicted of “influencing” within the protected zone and fined £450 (about $614), according to court proceedings.
He may be the first person prosecuted under the legislation for preaching a sermon that did not mention abortion, according to the faith-based advocacy group The Christian Institute, which supported his legal defence.
The institute’s deputy director Simon Calvert also raised concerns about the implications for free speech and religious expression.
Johnston said the ruling sets a worrying precedent for public preaching and Christian witness.
“It effectively redefines peaceful Christian witness as a form of unlawful ‘influence’,” he told Fox News Digital. “If simply reading the Bible, praying, and preaching on God’s love can now be considered harmful because someone might overhear it within a certain area, then we have crossed a very serious line.”
“John 3:16 is one of the most well-known and hope-filled verses in the Bible – a message about God’s love and salvation. If even that can be criminalized because of where it is spoken, then how can any public expression of Christian belief be truly safe from restriction?” he asked.
Body-worn camera footage from July 2024 shows police approaching Johnston while he preached near the roadside, warning him that he was inside a designated buffer zone.
“You can say to yourself, in the goodness of my heart, ‘I am coming here to preach the word of God,’” the officer says at one point. “However, if you are reckless, as to the effect that it could have on patients, staff or any protected person, then you may be committing an offense.”
The officer added that Johnston could seek out the hospital chaplaincy area if he wished to offer religious support safely, but warned that preaching within the zone could be unlawful.
“But while you’re out here in the safe access zone, any act in that area which may dissuade any protected person from availing services, harassment or cause them distress, is an offense,” the officer added.
Johnston is now considering an appeal.
“The whole point of preaching within the buffer zone was to stand against the chilling effect that these zones have on gospel preaching,” he said. “My encouragement to fellow Christians is not to give in to fear or discouragement. We have good news to share. We must continue to respond with grace, peace, and courage – never with anger or hostility, but with firm conviction.”
The Christian Institute’s director Ciarán Kelly described the judgment as part of a wider concern over restrictions on expression, warning of “creeping censorship” if the ruling is upheld.
“If the ruling stands it will represent a shocking new restriction on freedom of religion and freedom of speech so we will be helping Clive to consider the options for appeal,” Kelly said.
Ahead of Johnston’s hearing, the U.S. State Department said it was monitoring the case amid broader concerns about buffer zone laws in the UK.
“The United States is still monitoring many ‘buffer zone’ cases in the U.K., as well as other acts of censorship throughout Europe,” a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Monday. “The U.K.’s persecution of silent prayer represents not only an egregious violation of the fundamental right to free speech and religious liberty, but also a concerning departure from the shared values that ought to underpin U.S.-U.K. relations.”
Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service confirmed the basis of the conviction, stating that Johnston was found guilty of acting within a safe access zone with intent, or recklessness, regarding its impact on protected persons attending the facility, and for failing to comply with a direction to leave the area.
The office added that the court concluded his actions “amounted to an offense” under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act.
