NI pastor to appeal conviction for preaching in abortion clinic ‘buffer zone’

A Northern Ireland pastor who was convicted for preaching the Bible inside an abortion clinic “buffer zone” is to appeal.

Clive Johnston, 78, was found guilty earlier this month of “influencing” people about abortion inside 100m of Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. 

When he was approached by law enforcement officials throughout the open-air service, held in in 2024, he was informed that he should preach inside a “secure” space like a chaplaincy. 

He was convicted on two charges under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act and fined £450 though his sermon was on the subject of John 3:16 and didn’t mention abortion. 

Speaking on his decision to appeal, Mr Johnston said the ruling “sets a deeply troubling precedent”.

“I used to be not protesting abortion. I used to be peacefully preaching the Gospel, reading from the Bible, and pointing people to the hope present in Jesus Christ,” he said. 

“If this conviction is allowed to face, it’s going to signal that basic Christian witness and public expressions of religion may be criminalised just because they happen within the mistaken location.

“That should concern one and all who values freedom of faith and freedom of expression, no matter their views on abortion.”

He is being supported in his case by The Christian Institute, which warned that the ruling represents a “serious threat” to freedom of faith and freedom of speech across the UK.

Commenting on the appeal, The Christian Institute’s Simon Calvert said: “This case was never about harassment or intimidation – no person has alleged Clive Johnston engaged in anything near this manner of behaviour.

“It is about whether the state can criminalise the peaceful expression of Christian faith in a public place under abortion buffer zones laws.

“The implications of this dangerous ruling reach far beyond one individual pastor in Northern Ireland. If public authorities can prosecute someone for reading the Bible and preaching on God’s love, then fundamental freedoms are in danger.”

The case of Mr Johnston, a retired church pastor, has attracted international attention, with the US State Department previously voicing the priority that such cases are an “egregious violation” of fundamental rights, and a “concerning departure” of UK authorities from the “shared values” which underpin the transatlantic relationship.

American evangelist Franklin Graham expressed shock at the decision: “Pastor Johnston didn’t even mention abortion; he just preached the Gospel in a public space. I hope his legal team at [The Christian Institute] can have success in appealing this. Religious freedoms are being threatened not only within the UK, but here within the US, Canada, and world wide.”

Closer to home, former Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “It is extraordinary that in a Christian country the police think it’s an offence to evangelise the word of God outside a hospital.”