Christian woman pleads not guilty after being charged for silently praying outside abortion facility

Ms Vaughan-Spruce was the first person to be charged under the UK's "buffer zone" legislation, which came into force in October 2024.

The law prohibits individuals from influencing any person’s decision to "access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services" within 150m of abortion facilities.

Ms Vaughan-Spruce's legal team has argued the volunteer has been "singled out" and is "incompatible" with her fundamental human rights.

They said if Ms Vaughan-Spruce's pro-life beliefs were not known, her presence within the "buffer zone" would not have been considered an offence.

The team argued the legislation put in place by Parliament was not intended to "criminalise conduct of this kind" and cannot interfere with the "absolute rights to freedom of thought and to hold a particular religious belief".

During the three-day hearing for Ms Vaughan-Spruce, Judge Tan Ikram said the charge was "not properly drafted" and the legislation requires an "act" to be committed within the buffer zone.

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce has pleaded not guilty to five fresh charges after silently praying outside an abortion facility in Birmingham

ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM

Judge Ikram said: "This case is not about abortion rights, it is about a criminal offence which Parliament has defined.

"Courts are not here to pass judgement on people’s views."

However, on the second day of the hearing, Judge Ikram allowed the prosecution to bring five fresh charges against Ms Vaughan-Spruce, one for each occasion she prayed silently within the "buffer zone".

Ms Vaughan-Spruce has pleaded not guilty to all of the five new charges.

Ms Vaughan-Spruce has pleaded not guilty to all charges

ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM

Barrister and legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom in London Jeremiah Igunnubole said: "To criminally charge someone simply for holding a certain belief within a certain location amounts to thought policing, which has no place in a democratic society.

"Far from criminalising harassment and abusive behaviour – which are already criminal offences – buffer zones are being used to punish those engaged in peaceful conduct for nothing other than what they think or believe.

"This censorial, over-broad law has shown itself to be deeply flawed, liable to misuse along ideological lines, and harmful to basic freedoms.

"If simply thinking the ‘wrong’ thing can result in criminal prosecution, the UK can no longer call itself a free country. Alliance Defending Freedom will continue to stand firm in our defence of every person’s fundamental right to their own thoughts and beliefs."

Ms Vaughan-Spruce told Alliance Defending Freedom: "Standing silently and holding certain beliefs in a public space should never be a crime.

"Yet, despite being vindicated of wrongdoing on multiple occasions and receiving a financial settlement after two wrongful arrests, I was once again charged last year for my mere presence within a "buffer zone", and have today received fresh charges.

"I am deeply troubled by this violation of the basic right to my own thoughts and to my deeply-held Christian pro-life convictions.

"I pray that common sense and freedom will prevail, so that no one else has to face criminal treatment for what they believe."