Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on .
- MLA
- Mr Gordon Lyons
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 22 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5741445
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for giving way. One of the core issues that we are dealing with in some of the defence that Mr Tennyson gives is that he says, "A court would not do that", or, "It would never be the case that this would be allowed through", or, "The courts would throw this out", or, "It would never get as far as the PPS". However, for a parent, pastor or preacher who finds themselves in that situation, the process is the punishment. Having to go through all those stages, having the police come to their door about a conversation that they have had with their child could be an exceptionally distressing experience, as well as getting information and updates from solicitors and PPS decisions. It is not good enough to say, "Don't be ridiculous. The courts would throw that out". The police and the PPS have to go by what is in the law.
I think of how, in the Ashers case, people were determined to persecute that business and take it through the courts. It worked out all right in the end, but the case had to go the whole way to the Supreme Court for that to happen.
This not just about which stage any investigation might get to, traumatic as that might be for some people, but about the chilling impact that some of it would have. Let us not be dismissive and say, "That would never lead to a prosecution"; let us look at what it might mean for people in practice. The PPS and police would have decisions to make.
267 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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