Abortion Buffer Zones Show Silent Prayer Is Already Being Tested

September 19, 2024, 08:47

Thoughtcrimes are usually confined to the pages of Orwell.

But today, at Poole Crown Court, a military veteran and father-of-two is in the dock for praying silently, in his head, on the streets of the UK.

Adam prayed in a “buffer zone,” set up by the local council, in his head for a few minutes in November 2022. The “buffer zone” surrounds an abortion clinic and criminalizes a wide range of activities, such as “engaging in acts of approval or disapproval of abortion” – including through “prayer.”

Adam, who had already lost a child to an abortion, had stopped to pray about what had happened and to pray for those facing similarly difficult experiences at the clinic. It wasn’t long before he was interrupted by two officers who asked, “What is the nature of your prayer?”

A criminal trial was swiftly held. With media reports of resource shortages posing challenges to the British justice system, it is hard to believe that the state would invest massively in a three-day trial to examine the three-minute criminality of one man’s thoughts.

Authorities are said to have already spent more than £70,000 prosecuting the offence, which carries a maximum fine of £1,000. Fortunately, there is no real violent crime to deal with in Britain.

And yet we are about to see a proliferation of these practices. Yesterday, the government announced that it would be setting up buffer zones across the country, around every abortion clinic in the UK. These are 300m diameter areas in which, under the law, it is forbidden to “apply pressure”.

The Home Office reportedly considered specifically citing “silent prayer” as an example of illegal activity in the zones, but thankfully refrained from doing so due to the outcry from human rights experts. Yet the broad scope of the “influence” ban still threatens fundamental rights. What exactly is meant by “influence”?

Could this include a mother asking her daughter if she is sure she wants to go through with her appointment? Could it include a consensual conversation between two adults about the options available if she wants to continue with her pregnancy? Could someone be influenced by a silent prayer?

A good law should be clear, consistent and predictable, but the vagueness of buffer zone legislation leaves it wide open to misinterpretation and abuse.

It is now up to the Crown Prosecution Service and the College of Policing to provide guidance that reflects existing protections for freedom of thought and expression, in order to keep the UK in line with international legal standards.

Thoughtcrimes are about 1984, not 2024.

________________

Lois McLatchie Miller is Senior Legal Communications Manager at ADF UK.

LBC Views provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and issues of public interest.

The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the LBC.

To contact us, email [email protected]