Catholic Union Deputy Director, James Somerville-Meikle, writes:
In his book 1984, George Orwell introduced the chilling concept of “thought crime” into the public imagination.
It has felt at times recently that fact is stranger than fiction, as we have seen people arrested outside abortion clinics for silently praying.
This week, members of the House of Lords debated the Public Order Bill. An amendment was added to the Bill by backbench MPs in the Commons which would see the introduction of so-called “buffer zones” around every abortion clinic in the country.
Despite some excellent speeches from a number of peers, it was clear that neither the Government nor Opposition leadership in the Lords had the stomach to take on the Thought Police.
The debate resulted in the amendment being tweaked, but we are still faced with the prospect of a new law that could see more people arrested for praying or expressing an opinion within 150 meters of an abortion clinic.
The Catholic Union will continue to work with MPs and peers in challenging the legislation and promoting freedom of expression. We must continue to make sure that thought crime remains confined to the realm of fiction.