Retired Pastor Faces Trial After Preaching Near Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone

A quiet Sunday sermon has turned into a high-stakes legal battle in Northern Ireland. According to Fox News , Clive Johnston, a 76-year-old retired pastor, is set to stand trial on Wednesday over criminal charges tied…

Andrew PowellDec 17, 20253 min read

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a dozen people attended, that the pastor never referenced abortion, and that no signage was present.

The group argues the charges are misplaced and represent a dangerous attempt to criminalize public expression of Faith.

“Prosecuting Pastor Johnston for Preaching ‘God so loved the world’ near a hospital on a quiet Sunday is a shocking new attempt to restrict freedom of religion and freedom of speech in a part of the world where open-air gospel services are a part of the culture,” said Simon Calvert, the institute’s deputy director.

He drew a line between Faith and protest. “Christians are pro-life. But Preaching the good news about Christ is not the same thing as protesting against abortion,” he said, calling the prosecution “overstepping.”

Calvert warned the case could set a precedent: “If the Gospel can be banned in this public place, where else can it be banned?”

Johnston, who pleaded not guilty at a preliminary hearing in March, maintains he is eager to defend his actions.

“I am grateful for the kind messages of support I have received from members of the public both here and abroad, and for the prayers being offered up to God about this case by many Christians,” he said in a statement.

The defense has argued that the buffer-zone law conflicts with rights guaranteed under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects religious expression and freedom of conscience.

Johnston’s case unfolds against a wider backdrop of legal battles surrounding prayer, speech, and outreach near abortion facilities across the U.K. Earlier this year, Scottish police arrested 74-year-old Rose Docherty for offering conversation to women near a clinic Buffer Zone. After the initial charges were dropped, she was arrested a second time months later.

Northern Ireland prosecutors say their decisions are based strictly on evidence and legal standards.