Scrutiny underway on NI conversion practices Bill

On 28 September, MLAs voted 46–29 to progress Eóin Tennyson’s conversion practices Bill. While the result was not unexpected, it was disappointing that more MLAs did not vote down the Bill at the first opportunity. Those who spoke against the Bill delivered a masterclass in argument and scrutiny. You can watch some highlights here.

Committee scrutiny begins

The next stage of scrutiny is underway. Between now and the end of January, the Committee for Communities will interrogate the Bill in more detail and invite individuals and organisations to give oral evidence. 

At its first public session, members received an initial briefing from Assembly researchers. Researchers cited LGBTQ+ activist research involving just 10 participants - but omitted key FOI findings published by The Christian Institute. 

The Christian Institute’s requests to every NI agency able to receive complaints about medical or clinical practice found that 9 out of 10 had received zero complaints relating to ‘conversion practices’. The Belfast Trust had received fewer than five, investigated them, and concluded there were no concerns. The DUP’s Pam Cameron asked why this evidence was left out.

During the Second Stage debate, Eóin Tennyson made the extraordinary claim that people are being “locked in cupboards until they repent and reflect” to justify his Bill. He claimed there are “real abusers… getting away with that heinous abuse”. But, as Pam Cameron pointed out in Committee, this is already criminal. Worse, the Bill proposes a maximum 2-year prison sentence for conduct that, under existing law, could get you life.

Closed-door legal advice raises questions

Last week, the Committee heard from the Assembly’s Legal Services in private about the Bill’s compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Following the briefing, the Committee agreed to send the legal advice to Mr Tennyson and formally ask whether similar sessions might be held in public in future.

Commenting on the Committee’s call for the legal advice to be heard in public, Let Us Pray’s James Kennedy told the Belfast Newsletter that it “raises immediate questions, not least: is something being kept from us that we ought to know?”

“The Christian Institute has taken legal advice from numerous KCs on this kind of legislation, and every time they point to serious human rights problems. The latest advice from one of the UK’s top human rights lawyers suggests Tennyson’s specific wording will directly conflict with freedom of belief and freedom of speech.

“If Stormont’s internal legal advice contradicts this, we need to know – and be told how that astonishing conclusion has been reached. On the flip side, if their advice agrees that the Bill interferes with human rights, Tennyson’s Bill needs to be scrapped or completely rewritten.”

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