Pastor convicted for preaching John 3:16 near hospital files appeal, warns of free speech precedent

Pastor convicted for preaching John 3:16 near hospital files appeal, warns of free speech precedent

Retired pastor Clive Johnston, 78, is appealing his conviction under Northern Ireland's buffer zone law after being fined for preaching near Coleraine's Causeway Hospital.

Pastor convicted for preaching John 3:16 near hospital files appeal, warns of free speech precedent - The Political Signal

A retired pastor who was convicted and fined for preaching a gospel sermon near a hospital in Northern Ireland is appealing his conviction. On May 7, a judge found Clive Johnston, 78, breached Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act when he preached a sermon on John 3:16 near Coleraine’s Causeway Hospital in July 2024. The buffer zone law prohibits “influencing,” “preventing or impeding access,” or “causing harassment, alarm…