Eight Christian protesters have been handed spent convictions for staging a prayer vigil at the Perth office of Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

The group plead guilty to trespassing at the Liberal deputy leader’s electorate office in Subiaco on December 10.

• High Court asylum seeker win for Govt
• Asylum seeker case in court
• People smugglers sentenced in court

They were protesting the detainment of 135 asylum seeker children on Nauru and calling for an end to off-shore detention.

The protestors vigil in December was one of several peaceful sit-ins around the country as part of a national day of action by the Love Makes A Way Christian movement, which seeks to end Australia’s current asylum seeker policies through prayer and non-violence.

Ms Bishop was not in the office at the time.

Teresa Miranda Lee, Jarrod Saul McKenna, Alexandra Jane McKellar, Alan Timothy McGrechan, Lorna Ann Mary Green, Richard Scott Telfer, Sarah Elaine Mills Menogue and Beverley Ann Fabb appeared in Perth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

This was the same day that the High Court ruled that the government did not act illegally when it detained 157 Tamil asylum seekers aboard a customs boat for almost a month.

Prosecutors told the court that the group used the intercom to tell staff they were with Child Services and had an appointment.

Christian protestors pray while occupying the Foreign Affairs Minster, Julie Bishop’s, electoral office in Subiaco, Perth on Monday, April 14, 2014. Photo: AAP.

They then spent the day holding a sit-in, chanting and praying while staff worked around them.

The defence lawyer said their actions were “self-sacrificial” and they were seeking social justice.

He said they came to the office with flowers and cookies, but when they were arrested and taken to the Perth Watch House they were strip-searched.

All eight were granted spent convictions, given conditional release orders with a $500 undertaking and ordered to pay costs of $79.

A conviction means they won’t face any penalties or be obliged to disclose their conviction.

That was despite McKenna and McGrechan having previously committed similar offences.

McKenna was part of a group of 11 Christian leaders who held a similar protest at Ms Bishop’s office earlier last year.

Pastor McKenna from WestCity Church of Christ earlier told AAP outside court that the children had been locked up and left in limbo.

WA Greens Senator Scott Ludlam supported the group during a protest before court and said the Love Makes A Way group were taking the campaign to those who needed to hear it.

“I have great respect for their courage not be silent and I am proud of their action to stand up for refugees seeking asylum in Australia,” he said.

The group claimed they were unlawfully strip-searched before being charged over the sit-in and planned to pursue that matter in court.

—with AAP