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UK Activist Convicted for Breaching Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone

Livia Tossici-Bolt received a two-year conditional discharge and a £20,000 fine, intensifying debates over free speech and healthcare access as the US voices concerns.

British anti-abortion activist Livia Tossici-Bolt, charged with alleged breaching of a 'buffer zone' outside Bournemouth clinic, is accompanied by Isabel Vaughan-Spruce of March For Life UK, as she arrives at Poole Magistrates' Court in Poole, Britain, April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
Dr Livia Tossici-Bolt at Poole Magistrates' Court where she is on trial for two charges of breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in the area of an abortion clinic in 2023. Picture date: Friday April 4, 2025. 79608704 (Press Association via AP Images)
British anti-abortion activist Livia Tossici-Bolt, charged with alleged breaching of a 'buffer zone' outside Bournemouth clinic, arrives at Poole Magistrates' Court in Poole, Britain, April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
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Overview

  • Livia Tossici-Bolt was convicted at Poole Magistrates' Court for breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order outside a Bournemouth abortion clinic in March 2023.
  • She was sentenced to a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £20,000 in court costs, with the judge citing her lack of insight into the potential impact of her actions on clinic attendees.
  • The US State Department expressed disappointment over the conviction, highlighting concerns about freedom of expression in the UK and monitoring the case closely.
  • The British government and advocacy groups like BPAS defended the buffer zones as necessary to protect patients and staff from harassment, citing over 500 reports of harassment prior to the zone's implementation.
  • The case has strained US-UK relations, with Vice President JD Vance previously criticizing the UK's buffer zone laws as restrictive of free speech during international discussions.