Holly Baines reflects on the launch of Dr Martin Parsons’ abortion buffer zones report and explores how crucial this issue is, not only for the pro-life movement but for preserving Christian freedoms, freedom of speech and freedom of religion in the UK
For the first time in 300 years, the UK has banned Christians from praying and sharing their beliefs in public.
The UK’s renowned legacy of freedom of speech and religion is crucially being undermined and eroded by the implementation of abortion ‘buffer zones’, which silence public expressions of faith within a certain radius of abortion clinics.
The question facing us today is, if the government can silence our Christian convictions in public areas surrounding abortion clinics, what restrictions will be next?
If our freedom of speech and freedom of religious expression is prohibited in some areas, it is only a matter of time before these restrictions are widened to include other expressions of counter-cultural Christian beliefs – whether this is critiquing Islam, praying against assisted suicide, challenging gender ideology, or offering support to those struggling with same-sex attraction.
Our freedom to proclaim our faith in public is being eroded, and this is why the Christian Legal Centre commissioned Dr Martin Parsons and Dr Gregory Gardner to write an independent expert witness report on abortion buffer zones, and their effect on freedom of belief and religion.
This investigation is crucial as it exposes not only how these laws are dismantling centuries of human rights and religious freedoms legislation, but also how they are a subtle reintroduction of state censorship.
We hosted a report launch event this week, to highlight the importance of this analysis as well as to provide an opportunity for attendees to hear first-hand some of the findings from the authors and other key speakers.
We must contend for truth
Opening the Abortion Buffer Zones Report launch event, Andrea Williams shared how Christian Concern has tirelessly stood for freedom of speech, the right to life, and Christian freedoms.
We have advocated for life and spoken out against harmful abortion legislation for decades, including challenging the ‘pills by post’ scheme passed during the COVID lockdowns.
She said it is crucial that we contend for truth in all spheres of culture.
But to publicly contend for truth, one must be free to speak – and this is precisely where the abortion ‘buffer zones’ dismantle some of the most fundamental human rights: freedom of speech; freedom of expression; freedom of religion; and freedom of association.
In light of this, she explained why the Christian Legal Centre commissioned this report on the buffer zones: to investigate how they are reintroducing a kind of state censorship that has not been seen in the UK for centuries.
Undoing 300 years of historical development of religious freedom
Co-author of the report, Dr Martin Parsons, spoke insightfully on the history, legality and ramifications of abortion ‘buffer zones’ in the UK.
He highlighted how this law is gravely hindering free speech and silencing those who are advocating for the value of unborn lives.
In fact, he said that “at no time in English constitutional history have there been any restrictions on private prayer in public places”, nor have there been “restrictions on the content of what can be said in a public space”.
These buffer zones “prohibit activities around an abortion clinic” which would be entirely legal anywhere else.
Starkly exposing the widespread implications of this law, Dr Parsons revealed how these ‘buffer zones’ are putting “300 years of historical development of Freedom of Religious Belief into reverse”.
Interestingly, he also mentioned how, when Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was drafted, the freedom “to endeavour to persuade other persons of full age and sound mind of the truth of his beliefs” was proposed by the UK. However, this definition was vetoed by Islamic countries as being incompatible with Islam.
If this definition had been accepted, free speech and freedom of religion would be far more explicitly protected than it is currently.
There was a loud round of applause after his insightful talk, with attendees clearly thoughtful about the gravity of this situation.
His presentation showed how crucial freedom of speech really is, not just in the present but in preserving the legacy of centuries of religious freedom.
Free speech is a necessity of justice.
To save unborn lives, it is imperative that we are free to speak up on their behalf.
Where does it stop?
Legal counsel Michael Phillips then gave a presentation on the strategic progress of buffer zones and the numerous cases of individuals being arrested for ‘breaching’ these zones – even by silently praying.
The first abortion ‘buffer zone’ was in Ealing, West London outside a Marie Stopes abortion clinic. In 2018, the council implemented a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which covered the road around the clinic, with a clearly designated ‘free speech’ zone in order to ‘uphold the rights of both those seeking an abortion and pro-lifers’.
However, after the success of the first PSPO, when the next one was implemented, the council no longer bothered to include a free speech zone and instead of simply including public areas in the PSPO also included private residential areas around the clinic.
This means that pro-life demonstrations and freedom of expression, belief and religion are essentially prohibited and restricted in people’s own gardens and homes.
After this, the Public Order Act 2023 implemented nationwide ‘safe access zones’ which prohibit pro-life expressions, demonstrations or protests within 150 meters of abortion clinics.
Although this legislation does not specifically prohibit silent prayer, some individual PSPOs do, leading to confusion about both the legality of this law and what constitutes a breach of the ‘buffer zones’.
In concluding, he asked “where does it stop?”, revealing that there have “already been calls for similar buffer zones to be enacted around assisted dying clinics” as well as calls for ‘Sharia law zones’.
The ramifications of restricting free speech
Andrea Williams then spoke briefly about Parliament’s recent vote to decriminalise abortion up to birth.
She also shared how the Centre for Bioethical Reform (CBR) came under fire from Parliamentarians and fellow Christians alike for displaying pictures of aborted babies alongside pictures of MP Stella Creasey, who is the leading abortion activist in Parliament.
If we are not free to protest and to reveal the reality of abortion, we do not have true freedom of expression.
Greg Gardner, a retired GP with nearly 40 years’ experience and co-author of the report, then explained what evidence-based medicine is and highlighted the crucial need for collecting more data on abortions and the effect on women and the way they contribute to premature-births.
Without proper data collection, it is impossible to fully track the risks of abortions and collate detailed evidence of what is happening.
Silence is not an option
The first person to be arrested in the UK for praying inside an abortion ‘buffer zone’, Christian Legal Centre client Christian Hacking, shared his story and the way he continues to stand for life.
Christian was arrested by police in August 2019 while praying outside a Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Ealing. because of allegations he was violating a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).
Although he was prosecuted, the charges were dropped due to there not being “enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.”
Opening his speech, he said the real decision we need to make is between “chicken tikka or chicken korma”.
After murmurs of inquisitive laughter, he clarified that this was the meal choice he was given while being held after his arrest.
When millions of lives are at stake, silence is not an option.
Speaking up for truth and life is not optional in a society that is willing to sacrifice its children, lie to vulnerable women, and silence any who would disagree with the pro-abortion narrative.
When babies are being “poisoned, disembowelled and having their limbs torn off”, Christians have a duty to stand up and defend their lives, and take what consequences come with that.
Christian said that, while many Brits call abortion ‘choice’ and part of the sexual revolution, for many women the decision to seek an abortion is not fuelled by choice but simply “raw fear” because they feel they have no other choice.
We must create these other choices, ensure women are told the truth about abortion and post-abortive regret, and also be willing to speak up when – and where – no-one else will.
Saving unborn lives, preventing the harm of women, and protecting free speech are too important for us to allow the buffer zones to erode those crucial aspects of the pro-life movement.
Are we willing to sacrifice our rights to protect the rights of the unborn?
After these sessions, the speakers held a Q&A, which was highly engaging and answered some of the attendees many questions.
There was a clear long-term vision for both awakening the UK to the horror of abortion and putting pro-life MPs in power to pass pro-life legislation.
However, we were reminded that none of this will come without a hefty cost, with one of the speakers noting that, “we need a cohort of people who are willing to go to jail for this”.
The question we must ask ourselves is, are we willing to sacrifice our rights to protect the rights of the unborn and preserve the UK’s legacy of freedom of speech for future generations?
We must preserve free speech for future generations
After the formal close of the evening, attendees stayed around talking about what they had learnt throughout the presentations.
There was a general air of both sadness at the loss of freedom of speech and the loss of lives, but also hope at the changes that could be made over time.
Free speech and the right to life are both essential aspects of a just society.
Without the right to live, the right to speak freely is irrelevant, and without the right to free speech, life is merely a monitored existence of forced conformity.
As Christians, it is crucial that we advocate for both of these rights, establishing and preserving them for future generations.
Read the full report here:
Find out more about Christian Hacking
