Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Eóin Tennyson on .
- MLA
- Mr Eóin Tennyson
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 22 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5741463
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I appreciate the Member's being generous and giving way. I can answer that point: it is conduct that amounts to therapy or coercive behaviour carried out with the intent to suppress or change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity in a way that results in physical or psychological harm. That is the behaviour that we seek to remedy. That is the clear intent of the Bill, even from an ordinary reading of it and its explanatory and financial memorandum. It would not be beyond our judiciary, our courts, the PPS and the police to navigate the legislation. On the concern about causing distress, I will say first that there has been an attempt to create a chill factor by misrepresenting what the legislation would do. I have said that on a number of occasions. For offences of cruelty to the child, in which someone treats a child in a way that is likely to cause psychological harm and therefore may be guilty of a criminal offence, or in cases of domestic abuse where somebody engages in coercive and controlling behaviour that is likely to cause harm — our test is that it must cause actual harm — are we seriously saying that we should not legislate in those areas? Are we seriously saying that those should not be criminal offences because we are fearful that the perpetrator might be a bit distressed if the police knock on their door? That is the logical outworking of the argument that the Minister is making, which is that laws can never encroach on what happens behind closed doors. If that is the approach that the Assembly is going to take, that sends a concerning message to people about our ability to tackle abuse, which, as we know, often happens behind closed doors.
299 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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