Britain can brace itself for another scolding from U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Last week, a second anti-abortion activist was convicted of breaching a protest buffer zone outside a clinic, the same offense that prompted Vance to accuse the U.K. of backsliding on free speech in his February address to the Munich Security Conference. The Veep is right that Britain¡¯s climate for free expression is deteriorating ¡ª he just picked the wrong case to illustrate the point.
Livia Tossici-Bolt, a 64-year-old retired medical scientist, was found guilty of breaching a legal perimeter when she stood near a clinic in southern England holding a sign that said ¡°Here to talk, if you want.¡± She was given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay prosecution costs of ?20,000 ($26,000). The U.S. State Department¡¯s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor said it was disappointed by the outcome and freedom of expression ¡°must be protected for all.¡±
Abortion opponents make a poor choice of standard bearer for such a campaign. Activists aren¡¯t prevented from expressing their views; they¡¯re merely required to stand at least 150 meters away from the premises. These ¡°safe zones¡± are a reasonable attempt to balance free-speech protections with the interests of women using these clinics and their staff, who have a right to access them without harassment. The balance may not be perfect, but this is hardly an Orwellian clampdown. The irony of Vance¡¯s complaints is that you don¡¯t need to go far in Britain to find much more pertinent examples.
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