by Andrea Williams, Christian Today
A court has rightly acquitted 72-year-old Christian evangelist Richard Johnson after he was prosecuted for handing out a Gospel tract in Soho.
It is a welcome vindication for a man who spent nearly two years facing the prospect of a criminal conviction for peacefully expressing his Christian beliefs.
But we should not simply celebrate the acquittal and move on.
We should ask how a Christian evangelist handing out Christian literature on a London street ended up before a criminal court at all.
At the heart of this case is a freedom which Britain has cherished for centuries: free speech.
True freedom does not mean merely being permitted to believe certain things inside your own head, home or church. Freedom of religion necessarily includes the freedom to manifest your faith: to speak, preach, persuade, evangelise and seek to convince others.
And that freedom matters most when what is being said is unpopular.