Ireland is finally safe. Clive Johnston has been convicted and can no longer menace the public.
Johnson, 78, is a retired pastor who committed the heinous offense of preaching near the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. That was considered within the “safe access zone” under Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act.
The Act prohibits “influencing,” “preventing or impeding access,” or “causing harassment, alarm or distress” to a protected person within 100 meters (about 328 feet) of facilities where abortions are performed.
So Johnson was found guilty of “influencing” inside the protected zone and fined 450 pounds (about $614).
Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service told Fox News Digital, “The defendant was found guilty and convicted by the court of doing an act in a safe access zone with the intent of or being reckless as to whether it had the effect of influencing a protected person attending the premises; and failing to comply with a direction to leave a safe access zone.”
The language of the law is absurdly vague and abusively broad. What constitutes an “influence” is undefined and could include any religious, political, or social exchange. Would it include encouragements to have abortions?
It is equally perverse to treat praying or preaching the same as blocking or impeding access to a clinic. Finally, a hospital engages in a wide array of activities that raise religious or political issues that can be the subject of free speech.
We previously saw several cases in the United Kingdom where people were arrested for silently praying near abortion clinics.
For its part, Ireland has been a leader in censorship and the criminalization of speech. As the leader of the Irish Green Party proclaimed, “We are restricting freedom for the public good.”
By the way, his offense was reading John 3:16, including “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
What could perish in Ireland and the United Kingdom is free expression as speech regulators target bad influences under time, place, and manner laws.
This article is a little confusing. The author keeps talking about Ireland even though this took place in Northern Ireland. I know that Northern Ireland is mentioned once, but usually “Ireland” refers to the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland is a separate country and is part of the UK, which is officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. So, when mentioning Ireland and the United Kingdom in the last paragraph, is the author talking about the Republic of Ireland and the UK? If not, it is redundant to mention Ireland because Northern Ireland is already part of the UK.
I’m beginning to think that the old USSR would still be in business today had they only referred to themselves as a democracy and they were only making a few rules and regulations to save it.
It was an internationally recognized constitutional democracy, representative bodies etc.. Recognized by the USA, no less. And 193 other countries.
Thousands of U.S. judges who broke laws or oaths remained on the bench
REUTERS 2020
In the past dozen years, state and local judges have repeatedly escaped public accountability for misdeeds that have victimized thousands. Nine of 10 kept their jobs, a Reuters investigation found – including an Alabama judge who unlawfully jailed hundreds of poor people, many of them Black, over traffic fines.
Judges have made racist statements, lied to state officials and forced defendants to languish in jail without a lawyer – and then returned to the bench, sometimes with little more than a rebuke from the state agencies overseeing their conduct.
Recent media reports have documented failures in judicial oversight in South Carolina, Louisiana and Illinois. Reuters identified and reviewed 1,509 cases from the last dozen years – 2008 through 2019 – in which judges resigned, retired or were publicly disciplined following accusations of misconduct. In addition, reporters identified another 3,613 cases from 2008 through 2018 in which states disciplined wayward judges but kept hidden from the public key details of their offenses – including the identities of the judges themselves.
TO BE BLUNT, until we confront and restore our judiciary so that the average citizen is assured of its integrity, the collapse of our democracy is inevitable.
TO BE BLUNT… wrong blog mister.
“What could perish in Ireland and the United Kingdom is free expression as speech regulators target bad influences under time, place, and manner laws.”
So what, its Ireland. None of your business.
Human right is everyone’s business. I suppose you also think ‘So what Germany killed a few million jews and disabled people, it’s Germany’s business and was none of the rest of the worlds business’.
Human right is everyone’s business. Really? So how come no one cares? Better yet, lay out the applicable laws then? Oh, the bible says so maybe?
WTF, does Germany ca. 1942 have to do with Irish law?
“it’s Germany’s business and was none of the rest of the worlds business’.”
Response, then how come the world of 1940 let the so-called holocaust happen?
Another ridiculous anon.
“So what, its Ireland. None of your business”
Not your call, not an authority you possess.
Not your call you insignificant fish.
So what.
I am sure there are still people in Ireland who are more conservative; I would love to know what they are planning. Are there MIGA citizens trying to stop this insanity? What about MUKGA citizens? Ireland is a lovely country with lovely people—not all nuts!
Question. What business is it of yours what happens in Ireland?
The language of the law is absurdly vague and abusively broad. What constitutes an “influence” is undefined and could include any religious, political, or social exchange.
When one country can get way with human rights abuses other countries will do that too. It is everyone’s business. Free speech is a human right.
As a liberal troll do you want to get locked up for your comments because the current government would disagree with you?
Silly response. What happens in Ireland is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
`Business!’ cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. `Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!’
This is crazy. How can someone silently praying be harmful to others?
Crazy, no. But you are.
Read the article again Dustoff. Or, summary: committed the offense of preaching near the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, a “safe access zone” under Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act. Get it?
Yeah. Easy. The people who wrote the law are the enemy. Ireland’s problems are relevant to Americans because the same enemy operates here. Get it?
He is way to stupid to figure that out.
Stupid is cheap on the net and very costly when it manifest in the real world🤣
You should.
Ireland’s are relevant to … ? Now do you figure that, two independent nations with different laws. What are you going to do about it? Absolutely nothing, Whine here all day?
And what would the US gov. aka Trump, do about a senile old mans insanity who willingly broke Irish law.