12/26/2023 / By Ramon Tomey
A high court in the United Kingdom has upheld a ban on prayers near abortion clinics, ruling against a pro-life group.
On Dec. 15, the High Court of Justice ruled that the ban “lawfully followed the democratic and consultative procedures.” In their decision, Justices Mark Warby and Justin Thornton argued that any infringements on freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the right to protest were “justified by the legitimate aim of protecting the rights of women attending the clinic.”
The ruling stemmed from a complaint filed by two pro-life groups – 40 Days for Life Bournemouth and Christian Concern – against the “buffer zone” order that was in place near the Robert Clinic in Bournemouth. Livia Tossici-Bolt, head of 40 Days for Life Bournemouth, said the edict “criminalized prayer and reading from the Bible” – prompting them to sue.
According to the Independent, the buffer zone around the clinic – which is operated by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) – came to be as a result of a public spaces protection order (PSPO) made a year ago. The order and the resulting buffer zone were issued at the behest of the Bournemouth Council. BPAS Chief of Staff Rachael Clarke lauded the ruling, adding that the organization is “delighted to see common sense prevail in court.”
“Our staff and the women we care for spent years in Bournemouth being hounded and harassed by people as they sought to access our clinic,” said Clarke. “We have hundreds of first-hand accounts of the negative impact of this activity.”
Despite this, Christian Concern said it would appeal the decision. “The measures brought in by [the] Bournemouth Council are disturbing, in that they prevent women from being given access to alternatives to abortion,” said Christian Concern CEO Andrea Williams.
“Peaceful witnesses near abortion centers are helpful to many women in crisis pregnancies, offering genuine choice by providing support. [There is] no evidence whatsoever to show that anyone is being harassed outside abortion clinics.”
“British police are exceptionally rigid in enforcing ‘buffer zones’ protecting abortionists,” the National Pulse pointed out. “Lone Christians have, in some cases, been arrested or fined for praying silently … near clinics.”
The outlet cited one instance from October, where a Christian woman was slapped a fine by law enforcement officers for merely praying in silence within the proximity of an abortion clinic in the city of Birmingham. Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the woman in question, was previously fined twice for praying in silence outside other abortion clinics in the United Kingdom.
Vaughan-Spruce shared footage of her being accosted by two police officers. One of them informed her that she would be issued with a fixed penalty notice as she was praying “for the lives of unborn children.” Moreover, the two police officers notified her that her actions violated the “Anti-Social Behavior Order” even though she was merely praying and not staging a protest outside the facility. (Related: While Democrats let actual criminals roam free, these two elderly women were CONVICTED and face 11 years in prison for peacefully blocking an abortion clinic.)
The officer also claimed that she was within the Birmingham clinic’s 150-meter buffer zone. Vaughan-Spruce later confirmed that she was not within this buffer zone as an act of protest.
“This is the third time I have been treated like a criminal for peacefully, silently and imperceptibly praying for women who are likely facing one of the worst days of their lives,” she lamented. “The U.K. government urgently needs to clarify that silent thoughts can never be illegal – even if those thoughts are in disagreement with the views of the state.”
Head over to Abortions.news for similar stories.
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Tagged Under:
40 Days to Life, abortion, abortion clinics, banned, big government, Bournemouth, buffer zones, Christian Concern, evil, fascism, High Court of Justice, infanticide, intolerance, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, left cult, prayer, pro-life, Twisted, United Kingdom
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