Abortion clinic ‘buffer zones’ turn the UK into a censor’s paradise

In Britain, free speech is all but dead. Police in the country that introduced John Milton, the author of the most renowned defense of civil liberties, are now arresting people for their private thoughts.

A new law in the United Kingdom bans actions that intentionally or recklessly influence someone's decision to use abortion services. The law applies to anyone within 150 meters (500 feet) of an abortion clinic in England and Wales. Silent prayer protests are now subject to unlimited fines if they breach the ban.

The rules will affect more than just abortion. How long before other buildings, such as gender clinics and places of worship, are sectioned off with buffer zones?

The previous Conservative government introduced this legislation. Politicians first implemented these “buffer zones” in May 2023, claiming they were necessary to curb noisy religious demonstrations and harassment outside abortion clinics. The 500-foot boundary was established through an amendment to the Public Order Act 2023, known as Section 9.

The previous Conservative government, which claims to champion liberty, admitted these prosecutions were heavy-handed and authoritarian. Before amending the policy, the Home Office instructed police not to use suspicions of private prayer as grounds to detain or interrogate individuals.

Local authorities have enforced buffer zones for years, leading to notable prosecutions. In March, Livia Tossici-Bolt, a pensioner, will face trial for holding a placard that read, “Here to talk if you want.” Other cases include the arrest and prosecution of Sean Gough, a Catholic priest, and the absurd case of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce. She was arrested, tried, and acquitted, only to be rearrested weeks later for the supposed crime of her thoughts. After a lengthy legal battle, Vaughan-Spruce was awarded £13,000 (around $16,500) in compensation for her unlawful arrests.

Recently, Adam Smith-Connor was convicted for violating a buffer zone while silently praying outside an abortion clinic in Bournemouth, southern England. The 51-year-old army veteran stood on a public green with his back to the clinic to emphasize that he wasn’t attempting to influence anyone. Bowing his head, he prayed briefly for his son, whom he lost to abortion 22 years ago. A judge fined him £9,000 (just over $11,000) in court costs. He is appealing the verdict with support from the legal charity Alliance Defending Freedom U.K.

Labour’s new home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has scrapped the previous government’s guidance, preferring to issue new Crown Prosecution Service rules that include prohibiting such actions as “holding a vigil, or praying, including silent prayer within the zones.” It also bans people in the zones from handing out anti-abortion pamphlets, protesting abortion rights, displaying images of fetuses, carrying Bibles, or shouting at others. The CPS cited these actions as potentially influencing people’s decisions to access abortion services.

This should worry anyone who values free speech and association. The idea of making it a crime to express private thoughts should chill anyone, regardless of their position on the abortion debate. This is not the view of the new Labour government. Taking to X, Labour MP Stella Creasy said: “So no one has a ‘right’ to pray in front of an abortion clinic — you can pray for women at home if you wish.” This is shocking and akin to criminalizing speech.

The rules will affect more than just abortion. How long before other buildings, such as gender clinics and places of worship, are sectioned off with buffer zones? As the Home Office announcement notes, the buffer zone guidance can be changed at any time with the signature of a politician — with no legal scrutiny whatsoever.

As with anything related to restricting civil liberties, it affects everyone. By banning free speech for pro-life campaigners, the state has limited women’s ability to hear and receive information — advice that could change their lives. Alina Dulgheriu lost her job in 2011, her partner left her, and she was pregnant. Without money or a supportive husband, abortion seemed like her only option. Only through a conversation with a pro-life activist outside the clinic — now considered illegal — did she learn about financial assistance, housing, and a vast network of support. Her daughter is now 13.

The Labour Party has set a dangerous precedent. Unfortunately, politicians who see free speech as just another aspect of a fictitious culture war are unlikely to care. Anyone who values freedom must oppose this.