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

Debate contribution by Mr Jonathan Buckley on 22 September 2026.

MLA: Mr Jonathan Buckley
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 5741673

Text

I thank the Member for giving way. That is exactly where we were going with this, before there was that bit of drama. We were getting to the question of what defines "chilling effect". What we mean by that is genuine concerns relating to normal, everyday activity in a family home. My colleague Deborah Erskine outlined that point extensively. The Bill includes such broad concepts as counselling, talking therapy, coaching and instruction, and then, under "Coercive behaviour", it refers to "monitoring the victim’s day-to-day activities": those are everyday activities. It is right, therefore, that we should take into account the chilling effect of legislation that has the potential to criminalise parents for carrying out, in a home setting, activities that are defined in the Bill as "conversion therapy" and "coercive behaviour".

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

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