Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Extension of Committee Stage
Debate contribution by Mrs Pam Cameron on .
- MLA
- Mrs Pam Cameron
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 19 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Committee Business
- Heading
- Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Extension of Committee Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5795460
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I will be brief. I support the extension of the Committee Stage of the Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill, but I record my party's concern that, even with the proposed extension, the available time for scrutiny is unlikely to be sufficient for legislation of such complexity and constitutional significance. It is not an ordinary Bill. It proposes the creation of new criminal offences in areas that touch on family life, on freedom of expression, thought, religion and belief and on the relationship between parents, children, professionals and faith communities. Legislation that concerns such sensitive areas should not be rushed through the Assembly. Members will be aware that legal practitioners have raised serious concerns about the Bill's drafting and legal consequences. In a published legal opinion, Aidan O'Neill KC described the proposals as "jellyfish legislation", criticising what he considered to be vague concepts that are difficult to define, coupled with significant criminal penalties. He further concluded that there were "strong arguments indeed" that the proposals could be "beyond the legislative competence" of the Northern Ireland Assembly, citing concerns about "over-breadth", proportionality and the impact on rights that are protected by law, including:
"family life and freedom of religion and freedom of expression".
Likewise, criminal barrister Dennis Kavanagh warned that the Bill could place:
"the shadow of criminal law across your kitchen table",
reflecting concerns about the potential reach of criminal sanctions into ordinary family discussions and parental guidance. Whether Members ultimately agree or disagree with those criticisms is, of course, not the point that is before us today. The point is that, when a Bill attracts that level of legal concern from experienced practitioners, the Assembly has a duty to ensure that it is subject to rigorous, careful and comprehensive scrutiny. For that reason, I support the extension and record my view that legislation of such a nature should not be rushed through the Assembly within an artificial or compressed time frame. Getting law right must take precedence over getting law passed quickly.
331 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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