Pastor Clive Johnston’s appeal against his conviction for preaching on John 3:16 in an abortion buffer zone was heard in Belfast on Thursay.
Clive’s lawyers attended the Court of Appeal and argued that key points of law have not been suitably addressed in his case. In particular, that buffer zone legislation does not outlaw gospel preaching where abortion has not even been mentioned.
Left unchallenged, the District Court ruling risks turning an ‘abortion buffer zone’ into a ‘Gospel censorship zone’.
As Clive has said: “Nobody should be criminalised 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.
“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.”