A U.K. council has paused a court injunction that would criminalize Christian street evangelism as well as public prayer and singing in two English towns after local churches and street preachers spoke up.
Rushmoor Borough Council, the government district of towns Aldershot and Farnham, drafted an injunction that would have banned “Approaching anyone who is not themselves street preaching for the purpose of engaging them with discussion about religion or belief.”
The measure, created under the U.K.’s Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, would outlaw “Praying, whether with outstretched arms or otherwise, for anyone visiting, working or living within the Town Centres of Aldershot and Farnborough … without their prior permission,” “laying of hands on anyone in prayer” and “Offering up or personally handing … any leaflet, letter or poster or other written material.”
Failure to adhere could result in arrest, prosecution, fines and up to two years of imprisonment.
Supported by Christian Legal Centre (CLC), Christian leaders spoke against the restrictions at an April 23 meeting, according to CLC. Conservative council members Gareth Lyon and Ade Adeola opposed the measure, which was created by a Labour-led council.
After the meeting ended, the council announced it intended to withdraw its application and review its approach. The court hearing, which would have established the injunction if successful, has been postponed.
Jamie Broadey, a Christian evangelist who attended the meeting, believes the council’s move to establish an injunction remains a matter of concern.
“We welcome the news that the council has withdrawn its application,” Broadey said, “but it is highly concerning that they made this attempt to criminalize the Christian faith in the first instance. I thought that someone at the council, who must very anti-Christian, has produced this or it must be pure incompetence. But then we found out that the council has been working on this for two years and instructed a barrister to help them!”
Andrea Williams, chief executive of CLC, called the attempt to silence preachers a “significant and deeply troubling attack on freedom of speech and religious expression.”
“This attempted injunction was not merely an overreach—it was a direct assault on the liberties that underpin our democratic society,” Williams stated in a press release. “Freedom of speech—and especially religious expression—is not a privilege handed out at the discretion of local authorities. It is a fundamental right, protected by law, and hard-won through centuries of struggle. We urge Christians to remain vigilant and prayerful, and to continue supporting efforts to ensure that the public square remains open to the gospel and to the free exchange of ideas.”
