A Christian preacher has been found guilty of violating the restrictions of an abortion buffer zone in Ealing, west London, for displaying a Bible verse outside a Marie Stopes clinic.
Stephen Green, the National Director of Christian Voice, was convicted for holding a sign bearing Psalm 139:13, which says, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.” The incident took place in February 2023 within the Mattock Lane Public Spaces Protection Zone, which prohibits certain activities deemed to interfere with the functioning of the clinic.
Initially convicted by Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court earlier this year, Green appealed the decision at Isleworth Crown Court. The court, presided over by Judge Hammerton and two magistrates, upheld the conviction, stating that the verse referenced “the development of the unborn child” and was intended as a protest against abortion.
Green argued that his actions were not targeted at abortion itself but rather at the buffer zone regulations, which he claims infringe on religious freedoms and freedom of speech. He noted that Ealing Council’s restrictions on words such as “mum,” “baby,” and “murder” effectively ban over 1,000 verses from the King James Bible.
Following the ruling, Green expressed his discontent, saying:
“Although Ealing Council argue I was protesting against abortion, I have constantly maintained I was protesting against the buffer zone itself… Ealing’s list of prohibited words bans the display or articulation of over 1,000 verses of the King James Bible.”
The court issued Green a conditional discharge, with the decision on legal costs yet to be finalized. Despite the outcome, he has vowed to continue his legal battle, stating: “If someone does not take a stand against authoritarian law, those in power will take more and more of our God-given freedoms.”
The case has sparked broader discussions about the balance between safeguarding public spaces and protecting religious and free speech rights.
