As numerous pro-life advocates in the United Kingdom are being arrested for silent prayer near abortion facilities, England and Wales have officially put surrounding buffer zones into place.
Reuters reported that the Home Office announced “safe access zones” would extend to 150 meters (492 feet) around abortion facilities. “The idea that any woman is made to feel unsafe or harassed for accessing health services, including abortion clinics is sickening,” safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said. “This stops today.”
Actions considered violations of the buffer zone law include handing out pro-life leaflets, protesting against abortion, and, of course, prayer – even silent prayer. Confusingly, however, the Crown Prosecution Service also said that silent prayer is “not necessarily” a crime. Presumably, if the prayer can be said to be an attempt to “influence a person’s decision to access… abortion services,” it would then be labeled a crime.
READ: Court issues ‘shock ruling’ against UK military vet who prayed silently in abortion buffer zone
Several pro-lifers, including Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, Father Sean Gough, and Adam Smith-Connor, have been arrested merely for praying silently near abortion facilities. Many people have begun to raise alarms on how severe the buffer zones around abortion facilities are, considering them an attack on free speech and religious freedoms in the name of protecting abortion.
A letter with over 60,000 signatures has since been sent to Prime Minister Keir Starmer asking him to reconsider the idea that even silent prayer could be a criminal offense.
“Prime Minister, it is concerning that reports suggest that you are now actively considering naming silent prayer as a criminal offence in government guidance. This would be a deeply worrying move, particularly given your manifesto commitment to ‘uphold human rights and international law,’ both of which protect thoughts (including those raised to God in silent prayer) as an absolute right,” the letter says, adding, “Prime Minister, we urge you to refrain from issuing guidance that ignores the courts, domestic and international law, and the fundamental rights of the members of public who put you into power,” the letter goes on, concluding: “[P]lease act urgently to ensure that thought is never buffered, censored or criminalised.”
The law putting buffer zones into place was approved last year.
