CI publishes major report challenging Govt’s plan to ban ‘conversion practices’

The Christian Institute has published a new report urging the Government to ditch its plans to introduce a new law banning ‘conversion practices’.

‘Proving Tricky’ highlights how a new law could criminalise parents, church leaders and medical professionals, and details how numerous attempts to introduce similar laws across the world have run into a “dead end”.

In one example, the Institute noted that Sweden’s proposed law was savaged by one of its top judges, Maria Hölcke, who concluded that existing laws already prevented coercion and assault, and that legislation should not be introduced just to “send a signal”.

Failure

The Westminster Government has promised to publish its draft conversion practices Bill for England and Wales soon. Labour’s manifesto pledged to introduce “a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, while protecting the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity”.

The report explained: “At the heart of the struggle has been the question of definition. Activists demand that any law covers prayer, pastoral conversations and parenting. Reconciling their demands with human rights law and identifying any gap in the law have proved elusive.

“Westminster has faced all the same problems. After over half a decade attempting to craft a law, even former Equalities Minister Stuart Andrew had to admit this is ‘a very challenging issue to get right’. Two attempts by backbench Parliamentarians to draft Bills also failed.”

It added: “The UK Government now faces a choice: continue with a project that even many ‘progressive’ governments are beginning to see is a dead end, or consider seriously how individuals reporting genuine abuse can be better protected under existing law.”

‘Virtue signalling’

The Institute’s Deputy Director Simon Calvert commented: “Many ordinary people will wonder why this law is needed. There is already a plethora of existing protections for those who experience physical or verbal abuse.

“Indeed, the previous Government’s own internal assessment stated that the evidence base for a new law is ‘weak’ and that ‘there is already legislation to address acts which inflict physical harm’.

“So, why does the Government persist? Why does it want to try to bring forward a controversial and complex law that will do little to help genuine victims of abuse, but will criminalise innocent medical professionals, parents and church leaders? Legislation should be about more than virtue signalling to your supporters.”

Scotland

The Institute has threatened both the UK and Scottish Government with legal action if they bring in a law that impacts the ordinary work of churches.

In September, the Scottish Government, fearing a judicial review, shelved its controversial plans for a new ban in favour of “complementary approaches across the UK”. But the Scottish Greens have accused the SNP of outsourcing “the work to a UK Labour government that has sat on its hands” and urged immediate action.

Mr Calvert said: “The Scottish Government issued a 12 clause bill and an 86 page consultation document setting out its own plans for a legislative ban on conversion therapy and it crashed and burned.

“So they should know that UK-wide law is not, in fact, achievable. We just published a booklet detailing multiple failed attempts to legislate. All foundered because a ban is not necessary, because everyone is already legally protected from abuse, and not possible, because banning harmless speech about sex and sexuality is tyrannical.”