- Bournemouth Crown Court to hear silent prayer appeal, July 28th 2025
- Recent CPS guidance clarifies that silent prayer is “not necessarily” a crime in national abortion “buffer zones”
Bournemouth (29 January 2025) – The appeal date for the army veteran and father of two found “guilty” for praying silently near an abortion facility has been set for 28th July, 2025 – two and a half years following the three minutes of prayer which sparked legal action.
Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council charged and prosecuted Adam Smith-Connor for breaking local “buffer zone” rules, following an interrogation by officers on “the nature of his prayers” when he stopped to pray for a few minutes near an abortion facility in November 2022.
“The government simply cannot be allowed to determine the content of thoughts and prayers, depending on where you’re standing."
The “guilty” verdict, issued on 16th October 2024, marked the first time in modern British history where a citizen has been criminalised on the basis of his thoughts.
Silent prayer “not necessarily” a crime, says CPS
Since Adam’s conviction, nationwide “buffer zones” legislation has been rolled out across the country, preventing anyone from “influencing” a person’s “decision to access” an abortion facility – but new CPS guidance clarifies that such a ban does “not necessarily” extend to silent prayer.
The CPS further noted that the activities of the accused must be “overt” to meet the threshold of criminality.
At the time of the alleged “offence”, Smith-Connor stood imperceptibly praying in his head for a few minutes, across the road from the abortion facility, with his back to the entrance in order to avoid the impression he was attempting to engage with anyone.
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Video footage shows Smith-Connor being questioned as to the “nature of his prayer” by officers, before being issued a fine.
Speaking about his decision to appeal, Adam Smith-Connor said:
“Surely a silent thought cannot be a crime. With support from ADF UK, I’m appealing my conviction. The government simply cannot be allowed to determine the content of thoughts and prayers, depending on where you’re standing.
“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. I continue that spirit of service as a health care professional and church volunteer. It troubles me greatly to see our freedoms eroded to the extent that thoughtcrimes are now being prosecuted in the UK.”
Controversially, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council has already spent over £100,000 of public funds prosecuting Smith-Connor for his silent thoughts, for a charge with a maximum penalty of £1,000. This expense – including a high spend on a King’s Counsel– comes despite the Council being on the brink of bankruptcy for the past year.
The Court sentenced Smith-Connor to a conditional discharge and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £9,000.
Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF UK, who supported Adam’s case, said:
“The right to engage in silent prayer constitutes the most basic of human rights. It is protected robustly by international legal provisions relating to freedom of thought.
“Adam’s conviction was a watershed moment for British freedoms, and one the public must not take lightly. A failure to protect thought and peaceful speech anywhere creates a threat to these rights everywhere. Buffer zones or otherwise, we should uncompromisingly safeguard the rights on which our democracy is based. That’s why this appeal is incredibly important.”
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Pictured: Adam Smith-Connor, Jeremiah Igunnubole (Legal Counsel for ADF UK)
