A retired Irish pastor has been convicted and fined $600 for preaching the Gospel near an abortion facility under Northern Ireland’s “safe access zone” law, despite making no mention of abortion in his sermon.
Clive Johnston, former president of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland, was found guilty by District Judge Peter King after holding a Sunday service on the side of a road in Coleraine. Prosecutors alleged his actions violated Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act of 2023, which prohibits any act within 100 meters of an abortion facility that could “influence,” “prevent or impede access by,” or “cause harassment, alarm or distress” to individuals seeking or providing abortions.
Johnston, who is 78 years old, preached a sermon based on John 3:16—“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”—and made no reference to abortion. Police body camera footage revealed officers warning Johnston he was within a marked safe access zone and could not preach there. When ordered to leave, Johnston refused for ten minutes before departing. Judge King convicted him on two counts and imposed a $600 fine.
Johnston admitted his purpose was to test the law’s scope after police informed him beforehand that enforcement action was likely. He stated: “There shouldn’t be any public spaces in Northern Ireland where you can be prosecuted and convicted simply for preaching the Gospel.”
Ciarán Kelly, director of the Christian Institute which supported Johnston’s legal defense, described the conviction as “creeping censorship” and warned it would represent a significant restriction on religious liberty. Kentucky pastor Danny Davis, Johnston’s friend, expressed surprise at the outcome: “I was stunned by the result. I thought it might get dismissed after they kept kicking it down the road.”