Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Brian Kingston on 22 September 2026.

MLA: Mr Brian Kingston
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 22 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5740718

Text

No. It is a wee bit early yet. The sponsor has accepted that existing legislation already criminalises the objectionable activities that we are told have taken place in the past as conversion practices in relation to people's sexual orientation or gender identity, such as physical assault, imprisonment, forced heterosexual activity, electric shock treatment and so on. Those practices are already outlawed and illegal, and the Chamber is united in opposing them. However, the Bill focuses on placing severe restrictions on what people are allowed to say or to discuss, which equates to restrictive thought control, as I will explain. The Bill proposes three new criminal offences: first, the offence of providing conversion therapy; secondly, the offence of engaging in coercive conversion behaviour; and, thirdly, the offence of removing a person from Northern Ireland for the purposes of conversion practices. I will look at those in turn. Clause 1 defines the offence of providing conversion therapy. A person found guilty of that offence is liable to imprisonment for up to two years or a fine or both. The Bill states:
"A person commits an offence if— (a) the person provides or carries out conversion therapy in relation to another person".
The other person is to be called "the victim". What constitutes conversion therapy according to the Bill? It is defined in clause 4, and you might think that it would be some of the outlawed activities that I mentioned earlier, but the Bill defines it as:
"(a) counselling or any form of talking therapy, (b) coaching or instruction, (c) a treatment, or purported treatment."
I will give way.
Indeed, clause 4 then states that the only permitted exception is therapy carried out by somebody who is registered with a professional medical body. Whereas, if you are a parent, other relative or a trusted adult, such as a youth worker, teacher, minister or pastor —.
Let me finish the sentence. Any other person who gets involved in such a conversation with someone who is expressing gender confusion or gender dysphoria or generally discussing the topic could easily find themselves accused of providing counselling, a form of talking therapy, coaching or instruction, which the Bill calls conversion therapy, and could be prosecuted under the new offence. I will give way to the Member.

380 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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