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Pastor Clive Johnston appeals 'buffer zone' conviction at Belfast High Court
Pastor Clive Johnston was appealing his case at the Belfast High Court this week, convicted for preaching John 3:16 in a buffer zone near Causeway Hospital in Coleraine — an open-air service in which abortion was never mentioned and no placards were carried.
Yet the court previously found that his Gospel message warranted a conviction and a fine.
Pastor Clive Johnston appealed his conviction before the Belfast High Court after having been held criminally liable for preaching an open-air sermon within an abortion business buffer zone — not discussing abortion.
The prosecution claims that activity within the zone may be unlawful if it could influence, upset, or obstruct someone accessing abortion services — even if no such person was present when it took place.
Johnston stated, "It is not the role of the state to decide when and where somebody should be allowed to engage with the Christian message. The police should not be prohibiting peaceful expressions of faith."
As the legal arguments unfolded, it became clear that the case reached far beyond one pastor and one sermon. At stake was whether Northern Ireland could become a place where the Gospel is treated as inherently threatening — where Scripture, prayer, or even carrying a Bible within a designated area might be enough to make someone criminally liable.
Johnston said it best outside the court, in remarks quoted by The Christian Institute:
“Nobody should be criminalized for expressing the basic truths of their faith. I preached an open-air gospel sermon on a Sunday morning about the love that God has for all people. In Northern Ireland, of all places, surely we are allowed to express such a good and hopeful message. Yet I was convicted of a crime just for this.”
The hearing, presided over by Dame Siobhan Keegan, centered on a deceptively simple question: does the buffer zone legislation require an actual, identifiable “protected person” to be present before an offense can be committed?
Johnston’s legal team contended that the zone does, and that the legislation, as drafted, refers to a “person attending” protected premises — and that without proof of such a person, no offense took place.
The prosecution offered a different interpretation: the law is intended to safeguard the zone as a protected space, rather than depending on evidence that a particular protected person was present at the time of the alleged conduct. Under that view, activity within the zone may be unlawful if it could influence, upset, or obstruct someone accessing abortion services — even if no such person was present when it took place.
On their end, the defense highlighted that this is a penal statute, and penal statutes must be interpreted strictly, by their plain wording. They further argued that the “mischief” of the protester — any effort to impact those accessing abortion services—was adequate to constitute an offense, even without evidence of a particular person being affected.
“You cannot find in the statute a notional person attending,” the defense claimed. “The law means what it says. A person. The person.”
The Christian Institute, which is backing Johnston's appeal, earlier cautioned that the District Court ruling risks turning an “abortion buffer zone” into a “Gospel censorship zone.”
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher’s earlier remarks only deepened those concerns. When asked about the implications for clergy and pastors going about their normal work in hospitals, he acknowledged that prayer, Scripture reading, and even carrying a Bible within a designated area “may constitute an offense.”
Boutcher explained that pastoral visits to patients who are not attending for abortion services are not covered by the Act — but noted that even in those cases, whether such activity is lawful “will depend on whether it could reasonably influence, cause distress to, or impede a protected person nearby.”
Ciarán Kelly, Director of The Christian Institute, put it plainly outside the court, saying, “There should be no no-go areas for the Gospel in Northern Ireland or anywhere else.”
in response to Johnston’s case, Bernadette Smyth, Director of Precious Life, declared:
No one should have to fear criminal prosecution for praying, singing hymns, or sharing the Word of God. Pastor Clive was not campaigning on abortion; he was preaching John 3:16. This case raises deeply troubling questions about the freedom to practice and express our Christian faith peacefully in public.
Smyth elaborated:
Precious Life was proud to stand with Pastor Clive in court today. We urge the Court of Appeal to uphold freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and the right of every Christian to live out their faith without fear.
At Precious Life, we stand firmly in solidarity with Pastor Clive Johnston. We believe that the right to pray and peacefully express one’s faith is a fundamental freedom that must be protected.
This case is not simply a matter of law; it pertains to the moral and spiritual direction of a nation, the right to speak truth openly, and the worth of every human life, both before and after birth.
As Johnston himself testified:
“I have confidence that my right to speak freely and express my faith is protected under UK and international law.
Likewise, it is the right of anybody in the area to be allowed to stop and listen to me if they would like to, or indeed to carry on without listening if preferred. It is not the role of the state to decide when and where somebody should be allowed to engage with the Christian message. The police should not be prohibiting peaceful expressions of faith.
I’m grateful for the work of my legal team and for The Christian Institute’s support in appealing my case today. I trust that a positive outcome will help secure much-needed public assurance that there are no gospel-free zones in Northern Ireland.
May Johnston's confidence prove justified. And may Northern Ireland continue to be a place where the Gospel can be shared without censorship, where the vulnerable find protection, and where every child — born or preborn — is embraced as a precious gift.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
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·Pastor Clive Johnston appeals 'buffer zone' conviction at Belfast High Court
Pastor Clive Johnston was appealing his case at the Belfast High Court this week, convicted for preaching John 3:16 in a buffer zone near Causeway Hospital in Coleraine — an open-air service in which abortion was never mentioned and no placards were carried.
Yet the court previously found that his Gospel message warranted a conviction and a fine.
Pastor Clive Johnston appealed his conviction before the Belfast High Court after having been held criminally liable for preaching an open-air sermon within an abortion business buffer zone — not discussing abortion.
The prosecution claims that activity within the zone may be unlawful if it could influence, upset, or obstruct someone accessing abortion services — even if no such person was present when it took place.
Johnston stated, "It is not the role of the state to decide when and where somebody should be allowed to engage with the Christian message. The police should not be prohibiting peaceful expressions of faith."
As the legal arguments unfolded, it became clear that the case reached far beyond one pastor and one sermon. At stake was whether Northern Ireland could become a place where the Gospel is treated as inherently threatening — where Scripture, prayer, or even carrying a Bible within a designated area might be enough to make someone criminally liable.
Johnston said it best outside the court, in remarks quoted by The Christian Institute:
“Nobody should be criminalized for expressing the basic truths of their faith. I preached an open-air gospel sermon on a Sunday morning about the love that God has for all people. In Northern Ireland, of all places, surely we are allowed to express such a good and hopeful message. Yet I was convicted of a crime just for this.”
The hearing, presided over by Dame Siobhan Keegan, centered on a deceptively simple question: does the buffer zone legislation require an actual, identifiable “protected person” to be present before an offense can be committed?
Johnston’s legal team contended that the zone does, and that the legislation, as drafted, refers to a “person attending” protected premises — and that without proof of such a person, no offense took place.
The prosecution offered a different interpretation: the law is intended to safeguard the zone as a protected space, rather than depending on evidence that a particular protected person was present at the time of the alleged conduct. Under that view, activity within the zone may be unlawful if it could influence, upset, or obstruct someone accessing abortion services — even if no such person was present when it took place.
On their end, the defense highlighted that this is a penal statute, and penal statutes must be interpreted strictly, by their plain wording. They further argued that the “mischief” of the protester — any effort to impact those accessing abortion services—was adequate to constitute an offense, even without evidence of a particular person being affected.
“You cannot find in the statute a notional person attending,” the defense claimed. “The law means what it says. A person. The person.”
The Christian Institute, which is backing Johnston's appeal, earlier cautioned that the District Court ruling risks turning an “abortion buffer zone” into a “Gospel censorship zone.”
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher’s earlier remarks only deepened those concerns. When asked about the implications for clergy and pastors going about their normal work in hospitals, he acknowledged that prayer, Scripture reading, and even carrying a Bible within a designated area “may constitute an offense.”
Boutcher explained that pastoral visits to patients who are not attending for abortion services are not covered by the Act — but noted that even in those cases, whether such activity is lawful “will depend on whether it could reasonably influence, cause distress to, or impede a protected person nearby.”
Ciarán Kelly, Director of The Christian Institute, put it plainly outside the court, saying, “There should be no no-go areas for the Gospel in Northern Ireland or anywhere else.”
in response to Johnston’s case, Bernadette Smyth, Director of Precious Life, declared:
No one should have to fear criminal prosecution for praying, singing hymns, or sharing the Word of God. Pastor Clive was not campaigning on abortion; he was preaching John 3:16. This case raises deeply troubling questions about the freedom to practice and express our Christian faith peacefully in public.
Smyth elaborated:
Precious Life was proud to stand with Pastor Clive in court today. We urge the Court of Appeal to uphold freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and the right of every Christian to live out their faith without fear.
At Precious Life, we stand firmly in solidarity with Pastor Clive Johnston. We believe that the right to pray and peacefully express one’s faith is a fundamental freedom that must be protected.
This case is not simply a matter of law; it pertains to the moral and spiritual direction of a nation, the right to speak truth openly, and the worth of every human life, both before and after birth.
As Johnston himself testified:
“I have confidence that my right to speak freely and express my faith is protected under UK and international law.
Likewise, it is the right of anybody in the area to be allowed to stop and listen to me if they would like to, or indeed to carry on without listening if preferred. It is not the role of the state to decide when and where somebody should be allowed to engage with the Christian message. The police should not be prohibiting peaceful expressions of faith.
I’m grateful for the work of my legal team and for The Christian Institute’s support in appealing my case today. I trust that a positive outcome will help secure much-needed public assurance that there are no gospel-free zones in Northern Ireland.
May Johnston's confidence prove justified. And may Northern Ireland continue to be a place where the Gospel can be shared without censorship, where the vulnerable find protection, and where every child — born or preborn — is embraced as a precious gift.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Sheena Rodriguez
·Issues
Cassy Cooke
·Analysis
Cassy Cooke
·International
Cassy Cooke
·International
Bridget Sielicki
·International
Cassy Cooke
·Analysis
Angeline Tan
·Human Interest
Angeline Tan
·Activism
Angeline Tan
·International
Angeline Tan
·Human Interest
Angeline Tan
·