Freedom of thought is again an absolute right in Britain

Britain’s Home Secretary Suella Braverman has announced that silent prayer near abortion providers is not a crime. It’s been hailed as a “real victory for free speech, and pro-life prayer, and for those who showed courage and resilience in standing up for both mothers and babies”.

Ms Braverman has written to every police force in the UK to say that “silent prayer, within itself, is not unlawful”.

In the past 12 months, at least 3 people in Britain were arrested for what critics described as “thought crimes” – praying silently in their heads at facilities were abortions were performed.

The Home Secretary also reminded police that “holding lawful opinions, even if those opinions may offend others, is not a criminal offence”.

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce – the pro-life advocate whose arrest for “praying in my head” went viral, welcomed the intevention by Ms Braverman.

It is not for the Government to determine my beliefs on abortion, nor police the faith that I hold in my own mind. I’m delighted to see the Home Secretary clarify to police that it is not a crime to pray inside your own mind. This is a basic tenet of a free democracy – yet I have been arrested twice for doing no more than that.

Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF UK who have assisted pro-life advocates in these cases, added:

Too often, of late, arrests have been justified by reference to subjective notions of offence rather than an objective application of the law. Politicised policing seriously threatens democracy, which relies on the right to freedom of speech and free and frank exchange of viewpoints to be effectively realised.

If Isabel had been shouting loudly about climate change on the street where she stood, there would have been no arrest. But because her silent, personal thoughts expressed a particular view on abortion – one that is not approved of by the authorities – she was arrested, dragged through the courts, found innocent, re-arrested, and now has been waiting months with a possible court case looming over her.

https://gript.ie/home-secretary-announces-silent-prayer-near-abortion-facilities-not-a-crime/