Pro-life group sues over English city’s buffer zone law

The 40 Days for Life chapter in Birmingham, England, is suing the city over a buffer zone law that prohibits pro-life activity outside abortion facilities.

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, Executive Director of 40 Days for Life Birmingham, filed the lawsuit against the city’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which prohibits the group from any sign of pro-life activity outside the Robert’s Clinic abortion facility — including simply saying the word “baby” or “mum.” Vaughn-Spruce is being represented by the non-profit group Christian Legal Centre.

In a press release, Christian Legal Centre notes that a PSPO is generally reserved for curbing behavior like drug or alcohol activity. Instead, it’s now being used to keep pro-lifers from praying or offering abortion-minded women any help or alternatives. The organization notes, “Disturbingly, the PSPO also now gives power to ‘designated’ members of the public to essentially spy on the zone and facilitate the removal of anyone perceived to be breaking the PSPO order.”

Violators face a six-month jail sentence.

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In a video detailing the situation, Vaughan-Spruce notes that the PSPO has been a smear campaign against the pro-lifers, who have simply been peaceful and prayerful. The pro-life volunteers themselves have faced harassment, assault, and violence, but nothing has been done to protect them. In fact, when she expressed concerns about the safety of her group, one police officer told her, “Well if they don’t want to be assaulted, they don’t have to leave their house, do they?”

Vaughan-Spruce and her volunteers have abided by the buffer zone law, and they now stand outside a Catholic church down the street from the abortion facility with a simple sign that says, “Pregnant? Need help?” along with a phone number.  As Vaughan-Spruce notes, however, the core of their ministry, which is offering help to women in need, has been stymied.

“The sad thing is of course is that the further away we’ve moved — apart from it just being an infringement on our rights — the sad thing is that we can’t reach women as easily. The reason that we’ve come here isn’t to protest, it’s to offer help and alternatives to women, and of course the further away we are the less chance there is of doing that,” she said.

The lawsuit alleges that the PSPO was established based on hearsay and false allegations, all unfairly targeting the pro-life organization for their work, which is peaceful and lawful.

“The effect of the PSPO is to criminalise 40 Days’ activities in Birmingham and to create an area where no discussion of abortion or even prayer relating to abortion, is permitted,” said Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre.

“There is no evidence whatsoever to show that anyone is being harassed outside abortion clinics. The truth is quite the opposite. It is the abortion supporters who intimidate and harass and do not permit any dissenting viewpoint… 40 Days for Life offers women and their babies one last chance to make a different choice – a choice for life. What kind of world are we living in when even that is being denied to them?”

“We stand with 40 Days for Life as they seek justice in this case,” Williams said. “We call on MPs and the government to halt the introduction of repressive and draconian buffer zones across the UK.”