Silent prayer banned outside abortion clinics

Anyone who silently prays outside any abortion provider in England and Wales now faces criminal prosecution and an unlimited fine.

From 31 October – ‘a shameful day for our country’, anti-abortion campaigner Isabel Vaughan-Spruce said – every clinic and hospital carrying out abortions is now protected by a 150-metre ‘safe access zone’. The move, introduced under the Public Order Act 2023, criminalises anyone who intentionally or recklessly influences or obstructs someone accessing the clinic or causes them  harassment, alarm or distress.

A subsequent government statement explicitly says silent prayer could breach the rules. There is no statutory defence on religious or ethical grounds. However, Crown Prosecution Guidance suggests that an ‘overt’ act (such as handing out anti-abortion leaflets) should be identified for a decision to prosecute.