Retired pastor to appeal conviction over Northern Ireland buffer zone sermon

Retired pastor Clive Johnston is scheduled to appear before the Court of Appeal in Belfast on October 15 to challenge his conviction under Northern Ireland’s abortion buffer zone legislation. In May 2024, the 78-year-old was fined £450 at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court after holding an open-air church service near a hospital in July 2024. During the service, Johnston preached on John 3:16 and did not mention abortion.

Supported by The Christian Institute, Johnston’s legal team intends to argue that the original conviction failed to adequately protect his rights to freedom of speech and religion as outlined in the European Convention on Human Rights. Johnston maintains that his actions were peaceful and did not constitute harassment or violence. The case centers on whether the current legislation is broad enough to criminalize peaceful religious worship in public spaces, a point of contention that the appeal seeks to clarify.