A British army veteran, Adam Smith-Connor, has been convicted for silently praying outside an abortion clinic, marking a significant moment for free speech and religious liberty in the U.K. Smith-Connor, who served in the Army Reserves for 20 years, was found guilty of violating a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) after praying with his head bowed and hands clasped outside a Bournemouth clinic in 2022.
The court ruled that his silent prayer was enough to show “disapproval of abortion.”
The veteran was given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay nearly $12,000 in court costs. Reflecting on the verdict, Smith-Connor expressed shock: “I served for 20 years in the Army Reserves, including a tour in Afghanistan, to protect the fundamental freedoms that this country is built upon.” He added, “It troubles me greatly to see our freedoms eroded to the extent that thought-crimes are now being prosecuted in the U.K.”
This case is seen as a “watershed moment,” according to ADF UK legal counsel Jeremiah Igunnubole, marking the first modern conviction of a Christian in Britain for silently praying—what he described as a “thought-crime.”
The ruling has drawn widespread criticism, including from Catholic MP Sir Edward Leigh, who condemned it as a serious assault on personal liberty: “It is disgraceful that in Britain in 2024 someone can be put on trial for praying silently in his head.”
The conviction highlights growing concern over the U.K.’s expanding buffer zones around abortion clinics, which will soon criminalize even peaceful prayer within 150 yards of any facility. Religious leaders have strongly condemned the legislation, warning it imposes severe restrictions on free speech and religious practice.
This case follows another similar incident, where West Midlands Police paid nearly $17,000 in compensation to a woman wrongfully arrested for silently praying outside an abortion clinic.
