Street preaching: hate speech vs freedom of expression: Sleeper

Background

In Sleeper v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2025] EWHC 151 (KB), Mr Ian Sleeper was a street preacher. In June 2017, he was preaching outside Southwark Cathedral and he had two large handwritten signs with him, reading “LOVE MUSLIMS BAN ISLAM THE RELIGION OF TERROR!” and “#LOVE MUSLIMS HATE ISLAM JESUS IS LOVE + HOPE”.

After refusing a request from police officers that he cease to display the signs, he was arrested and charged with a religiously aggravated offence under s.5 Public Order Act 1986. He maintained that his actions were protected under the Human Rights Act 1988. On 11 August 2017, he was informed of the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision not to prosecute [1-4]. He subsequently brought an unsuccessful claim against the Metropolitan Police for false imprisonment and breach of his human rights, arguing that his arrest and detention had been unlawful and violated his rights to freedom of religion, expression, and assembly under Articles 9, 10, and 11 ECHR [6]. Continue reading