Overview
- The government published the draft Conversion Practices Bill on Thursday, June 25, 2026, proposing criminal offences for abusive conduct that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity when it causes serious harm.
- Under the draft, perpetrators could face up to five years in prison, unlimited fines, extraterritorial charges for assisting abuse abroad, and new civil Conversion Practice Protection Orders for victims.
- The bill expressly exempts legitimate healthcare and exploratory conversations and protects freedom of belief, with ministers saying the aim is to target abuse not therapy or worship.
- Campaigners and some clinicians welcome the measure but warn the law’s high threshold for criminality and current drafting may miss subtle or religiously framed practices and could deter therapists or faith leaders from helpful conversations.
- Fresh evidence from Galop and YouGov showing 195 recent cases and that most abuse is family‑initiated underpins calls for the law, and the draft will now undergo public consultation and pre‑legislative scrutiny before MPs consider it.