A retired Baptist pastor has been fined after being found guilty of breaching a safe access zone outside Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. Northern Ireland Humanists said the case shows that safe access zone legislation is working as intended, helping to protect women from harassment and intimidation when accessing healthcare.

Clive Johnston, from Sion Mills, was convicted at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court of two offences under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023. He was found guilty of conducting a protest inside the safe access zone and of failing to comply with a direction to leave. He was fined £450. 

Mr Johnston argued that he was not protesting, but holding a religious service. However, the prosecution argued that, in context, the activity amounted to an anti-abortion protest inside a legally protected area. The court heard that he was near a large crucifix, using a microphone, and quoting from the Bible.

Safe access zones were introduced to protect women and girls and staff accessing abortion services, as well as those accompanying them, and staff providing care. The law makes it illegal for anyone to do acts within a safe access zone that impede access to protected premises, record protected persons, or influence, harass, alarm, or distress protected persons.

Northern Ireland Humanists campaigned for safe, legal, free local access to abortion services in Northern Ireland. Humanists UK was also a founding supporter of the Back Off campaign, coordinated by BPAS (British Pregnancy Advice Services), which called for safe access zones around abortion clinics after years of harassment and intimidation of women and healthcare workers.

Northern Ireland was the first part of the UK to bring safe access zones into force. The law was challenged by the Northern Ireland Attorney General, but the UK Supreme Court ruled that it was compatible with human rights law and within the competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly. 

Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator commented:

‘Safe access zones were introduced because women and girls were being targeted while accessing lawful healthcare, often at deeply personal and vulnerable moments. Northern Ireland Humanists and Humanists UK campaigned for these protections because rights have to be real in practice. It is not enough for abortion to be legal if people are then pressured, confronted, or distressed at the clinic door.

‘This law does not stop anyone from preaching, praying, or opposing abortion. It simply says that the entrance to an abortion service is not the place to try to influence patients or staff. That is a fair and necessary balance between freedom of expression and women’s sexual and reproductive rights.’