CV NEWS FEED // A United Kingdom judge on April 4 found a retired scientist guilty of violating the country’s “buffer zone” laws for silently offering conversations with a written sign near an abortion facility. Austin ordered her to pay 20,000 British pounds ($25,808) in prosecution costs by May 31.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) reported that District Judge Orla Austin found Livia Tossici-Bolt guilty of violating the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). Austin also convicted Adam Smith-Connor for his silent prayer outside an abortion facility.
“This is a dark day for Great Britain. I was not protesting and did not harass or obstruct anyone. All I did was offer consensual conversation in a public place, as is my basic right, and yet the court found me guilty,” Tossici-Bolt said after the verdict. “Freedom of expression is in a state of crisis in the UK. What has happened to this country?”
She added that she will continue to fight for free speech and explore all legal options with the help of ADF International, who represented her in court.
ADF International legal counsel Lorcán Price added, “Everyone who cares about free speech should care about ‘buffer zones.’ A Christian woman has been convicted merely for offering to chat on a public street in Britain. This ruling should show all reasonable people that, beyond the shadow of a doubt, abortion facility ‘buffer zones’ are incompatible with a free society. We will now support Livia in considering all legal options.”
As CatholicVote previously reported, a U.S. State Department Bureau this week announced that it was monitoring Tossici-Bolt’s case.
Tossici-Bolt was initially issued a fixed penalty notice for violating an abortion clinic’s buffer zone when police officers saw her standing near an abortion clinic with a sign reading, “Here to talk, if you want.” She refused to pay the fine since she was engaging in free speech, which is protected by UK law.
>> UK officers admit during buffer zone trial defendant did not commit harassment <<