New law risks imposing unlimited fines for silent prayer near abortion clinics

New legislation could make silent prayer near abortion clinics punishable by unlimited fines in England. The law creates 150-metre “safe access zones” around abortion facilities, where protests, including silent prayer, are restricted to protect women from potential influence or distress.

The Labour government replaced draft guidance allowing silent prayer within these zones, originally set by the previous Conservative administration. The new guidance prohibits any attempts to sway a woman’s decision about abortion within these zones, potentially including silent prayer.

Actions causing “harassment, alarm, or distress” to individuals accessing abortion services may lead to prosecution, which police will determine based on each case’s specifics.

Home Office Minister Jess Phillips expressed strong support for the measures, saying, “The idea that any woman is made to feel unsafe or harassed for accessing health services…is sickening. This stops today.” Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson echoed this, stating the reforms will help women feel “safer and empowered.”

This follows a court case involving army veteran Adam Smith-Connor, who faced prosecution for silently praying outside a clinic. Smith-Connor, who was fined and given a two-year conditional discharge, plans to appeal, claiming he was unfairly penalised for a silent, personal prayer.

Critics, including ADF UK’s Jeremiah Igunnubole, argue the law’s vague wording could infringe on freedoms, calling it a form of “criminalised thought.”

Igunnubole said: “We are glad that the CPS has confirmed that silent prayer is not necessarily a criminal offence and that there must be evidence of overt activity … Previous Home Secretaries and the magistrates’ court have repeatedly concluded that silent prayer, within itself, cannot constitute a criminal offence. Now that CPS guidance has recognized the same, it is incumbent on police officers and local authorities to refrain from ideological and discriminatory interpretations which seek to criminalise prayer itself rather than overt conduct amounting to harassment and intimidation.”