Authorities in the United Kingdom have eased bail restrictions imposed on Isabel Vaughn-Spruce, a Christian activist who faced two arrests for silently praying near an abortion facility in Birmingham, England. The West Midlands Police have lifted the ban that prevented her from standing near abortion clinics, although potential charges remain, according to Alliance Defending Freedom UK.

Vaughn-Spruce expressed relief at the lifted restrictions but voiced concern over the initial three-month infringement on her right to pray peacefully. She questioned how her silent prayer could be perceived as intimidating and described the ongoing threat of prosecution as "deeply unsettling and unjust."

Birmingham implemented a Public Health Protection Order (PHPO) in September 2022, prohibiting various forms of protest related to abortion services, including prayer and counseling, near clinics.

Vaughn-Spruce, director of the U.K. March for Life, was arrested in December and again in March for her silent prayer. Following her March arrest, police imposed bail conditions that extended beyond the PHPO zone, preventing her from accessing public spaces unrelated to abortion services. Her legal team, supported by ADF UK, successfully argued that these extended restrictions were excessive and unwarranted.

They asserted that silent prayer is protected under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. While police acknowledged that the PSPO doesn't prohibit her presence within the zone, her case has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, leaving the possibility of charges open.

ADF UK Legal Counsel Jeremiah Igunnubole criticized the broad powers granted to police under recent public order reforms, highlighting Vaughn-Spruce's case as an example of how these powers can be misused to restrict fundamental rights without proper accountability or training. He argued that censorship zones undermine free societies and that the UK's legal tradition of protecting civil liberties is threatened by allowing police discretion to restrict peaceful expressions of belief.