Livia Tossici-Bolt gets conditional discharge and £20k costs after breaching UK buffer zone law
A British anti-abortion campaigner at the centre of international debate over free speech has been convicted for breaching a public protection order outside a Bournemouth abortion clinic — a case that drew formal concern from the US State Department.
Livia Tossici-Bolt was found guilty on Friday of violating a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) on two occasions in March 2023. She had stood outside a British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) clinic holding a sign that read, “Here to talk, if you want” — an act the court ruled was intended to dissuade women from seeking abortion services.
At Poole Magistrates’ Court, Judge Orla Austin issued Tossici-Bolt a conditional discharge for two years, warning her not to commit further offences. She was also ordered to pay £20,000 in legal costs to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council and an additional £26 victim surcharge.
Judge Austin said the court was “beyond reasonable doubt” that Tossici-Bolt’s presence outside the clinic expressed opposition to abortion and could have had a “detrimental effect” on women, staff, and members of the public. “She lacks insight into the potential harm caused,” the judge remarked.
While the case was presented as a straightforward breach of a PSPO, it sparked diplomatic attention. Just hours after the verdict, the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), a division of the State Department, posted on X: “We are disappointed with the UK court’s conviction of Livia Tossici-Bolt… Freedom of expression must be protected for all.”
The DRL had met Tossici-Bolt during a UK visit last month alongside members of a US-backed anti-abortion group that had supported her legal case.
The Downing Street response was firm. A spokesperson said women must be able to access legal healthcare “without being subject to harassment or distress,” adding: “The right to protest does not give people the right to harass others.”
Tossici-Bolt’s presence near the clinic came despite a local order banning direct or indirect protest or influence during weekday hours. When council officers asked her to leave, citing complaints from clinic staff and the public, she reportedly told them she was there “because women come here in a very lonely state.”
Judge Austin acknowledged that Tossici-Bolt’s anti-abortion views were “truly held,” but said the case was not about the morality of abortion. “She could have gone elsewhere,” the judge added, rejecting the defence’s claim that the sign was a neutral offer of support.
The conviction was welcomed by BPAS, whose chief executive Heidi Stewart said the ruling would help protect women and staff from harassment. “The clinic has faced decades of protests — over 500 harassment reports before this zone was introduced. This case was never about global politics but about safe access to healthcare,” she said.
The trial also revealed financial backing behind Tossici-Bolt. She is supported by ADF International, the global arm of Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative US organisation with a growing UK presence. The court heard that ADF UK received over £1.3 million in income last year, with senior staff earning six-figure salaries.
Representing the council, KC Kuljit Bhogal noted that Tossici-Bolt had significant personal assets and had benefitted from legal grants from the ADF.
Robert Clarke, advocacy director at ADF International, branded the ruling an “egregious failure of justice.” The group has said it will support Tossici-Bolt as she explores options for appeal.
The case has reignited debate around the boundaries between free expression and protected healthcare access, as the UK and US take increasingly divergent stances on the issue.
BBC
Livia Tossici-Bolt, a 64-year-old retired medical scientist, has been convicted of breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) outside an abortion clinic in Bournemouth on two occasions in March 2023. She held a sign reading “Here to talk, if you want,” within a designated buffer zone, violating restrictions aimed at preventing harassment. The court imposed a two-year conditional discharge and a £20,000 fine. Her case drew international attention, with the US State Department and Vice President JD Vance expressing concern over free speech in the UK. Tossici-Bolt defended her actions as peaceful and consensual, but the judge ruled her presence could distress patients and staff. BPAS, which runs the clinic, welcomed the ruling, citing years of prior protest-related harassment. The case highlights tensions between freedom of expression and protecting access to legal abortion services, particularly under recently expanded national legislation that bans protests within 150 metres of clinics across England and Wales.
SKY NEWS
Livia Tossici-Bolt, 64, has been convicted for breaching a “buffer zone” outside a Bournemouth abortion clinic on two occasions in March 2023. Holding a sign that read “Here to talk, if you want”, she was found guilty of violating a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) and received a two-year conditional discharge alongside a £20,000 court cost order. The case has sparked international debate on free speech, with the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor expressing “disappointment” and Vice President JD Vance raising concerns with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Tossici-Bolt argued her actions were peaceful and consensual, warning that free expression is under threat in the UK. However, District Judge Orla Austin ruled her presence could distress patients and staff. Downing Street defended the PSPO, stressing protection from harassment. BPAS and the local council welcomed the verdict, highlighting the importance of safeguarding access to abortion services.
