A retired pastor from Northern Ireland has been convicted after preaching from John 3:16 near a hospital located inside an abortion buffer zone, in what supporters describe as a first-of-its-kind prosecution. The case has drawn attention from both religious freedom advocates and US officials.
Clive Johnston, 78, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, where District Judge Peter King convicted him of breaching Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act. Johnston was fined a total of £450 following the ruling.
Johnston, a retired Baptist minister from Strabane and former president of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland, was charged after delivering an open-air sermon on July 7, 2024, within 150 meters of Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. The law at issue was enacted in 2022 and created buffer zones ranging from 100 to 150 meters around hospitals and abortion clinics.
Authorities alleged Johnston violated restrictions intended to prevent protests or other activity around abortion facilities. Court filings did not accuse him of mentioning abortion, displaying protest materials, or directly engaging with patients, but instead alleged he was “influencing” individuals within the zone.
According to supporters, Johnston had no banners or placards during the event and made no mention of abortion while preaching from John 3:16. The sermon took place during what was described as a small outdoor Sunday service near the hospital.
Following the verdict, Johnston criticized the conviction and said the case represents a broader threat to religious freedom. He indicated that he is now considering whether to challenge the ruling.
“This is a dark day for Christian freedom. We held a small, open-air Sunday service near a hospital. We made no reference whatsoever to the issue of abortion," he said. "And yet the buffer zones law is so broad that holding a Sunday service has been found to be a criminal offence. And at 78 years of age I find myself, for the first time, convicted of a crime.”
The case had already attracted attention from the US State Department before Wednesday’s hearing. In a statement issued ahead of the proceedings, the department said it was monitoring multiple UK buffer zone cases and broader censorship concerns across Europe.
The Christian Institute, which supported Johnston’s legal defense, said it will assist him in evaluating possible appeal options. Director Ciarán Kelly described the ruling as “creeping censorship” and argued the law had been used to criminalize gospel preaching.
Clive Johnston, 78, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, where District Judge Peter King convicted him of breaching Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act. Johnston was fined a total of £450 following the ruling.
Johnston, a retired Baptist minister from Strabane and former president of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland, was charged after delivering an open-air sermon on July 7, 2024, within 150 meters of Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. The law at issue was enacted in 2022 and created buffer zones ranging from 100 to 150 meters around hospitals and abortion clinics.
Authorities alleged Johnston violated restrictions intended to prevent protests or other activity around abortion facilities. Court filings did not accuse him of mentioning abortion, displaying protest materials, or directly engaging with patients, but instead alleged he was “influencing” individuals within the zone.
According to supporters, Johnston had no banners or placards during the event and made no mention of abortion while preaching from John 3:16. The sermon took place during what was described as a small outdoor Sunday service near the hospital.
Following the verdict, Johnston criticized the conviction and said the case represents a broader threat to religious freedom. He indicated that he is now considering whether to challenge the ruling.
“This is a dark day for Christian freedom. We held a small, open-air Sunday service near a hospital. We made no reference whatsoever to the issue of abortion," he said. "And yet the buffer zones law is so broad that holding a Sunday service has been found to be a criminal offence. And at 78 years of age I find myself, for the first time, convicted of a crime.”
The case had already attracted attention from the US State Department before Wednesday’s hearing. In a statement issued ahead of the proceedings, the department said it was monitoring multiple UK buffer zone cases and broader censorship concerns across Europe.
The Christian Institute, which supported Johnston’s legal defense, said it will assist him in evaluating possible appeal options. Director Ciarán Kelly described the ruling as “creeping censorship” and argued the law had been used to criminalize gospel preaching.
