Vaughan-Spruce was arrested in December 2022 after officers accused her of silently praying outside an abortion clinic in violation of England’s Public Protection Order zones that prohibit any kind of demonstration or “anti-social behavior” to protect abortion clinics. On Friday, the United Kingdom’s chapter of Alliance Defending Freedom, a public interest legal group, announced in a press release that prosecutors had dropped the charges, but Vaughan-Spruce intends to pursue legal action anyway to get a “clear verdict.”
“Given the nature of Vaughan-Spruce’s regular voluntary work in offering charitable support to women in crisis pregnancies near abortion facilities, the discontinuance has left her with significant legal unclarity moving forward, given that CPS made clear that the charges ‘may well start again’ in the near future subject to further evidential review,” the press release read. “Vaughan-Spruce has now made known her intention to pursue a verdict in court.”
[That’s a gutsy strategy. Vaughan-Spruce wants courts to rein in UK laws imposing restrictions on political speech based on viewpoint that wouldn’t stand a chance in the US. But the UK does not have a First Amendment — they don’t have a formal written constitution, for that matter — and this strategy carries the risk of jail or financial punishment. Keep praying for her. — Ed]
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