High Court refuses anti-abortion protester permission for judicial review over conviction

Stephen Green, 74, from Carmarthen in Wales, had protested in February 2023 inside the area covered by Ealing Council’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) on Mattock Lane.

The safe zone was introduced in 2018 to protect people accessing abortion services from harassment and intimidation.

Green refused to pay a £100 fixed penalty notice issued in March 2023.

The council prosecuted him at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court in January 2024, where he was convicted of failing to comply with the PSPO. He received a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £2,426 in costs.

Green appealed the conviction at Isleworth Crown Court. His appeal was dismissed on 15 January 2025, with the judge ordering him to pay a further £7,536.50 in prosecution costs.

He then sought to challenge the Crown Court’s decision through a judicial review.

At a hearing on 12 February 2026, the High Court (Administrative Court), sitting at Isleworth Crown Court, refused permission on the basis that there were “no arguable grounds for judicial review” and “no realistic prospect of success.”

Cllr Jasbir Anand, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for tackling crime and antisocial behaviour, said: “We hope the High Court’s judgment puts an end to Mr Green’s continuous appeals and this long-running saga. We introduced the safe zone on Mattock Lane to protect women at an intensely personal and vulnerable moment in their lives.....

“This ruling sends a clear message: if you breach the safe zone and interfere with women’s rights, we will not hesitate to act.”

The Christian Legal Centre, which has provided support for Green, said he would take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.