Jail time and unlimited fines planned under conversion practices ban

Legislation to ban conversion practices was first promised in 2018, but was subject to several government U-turns and the resignation of the government's LGBT+ Advisory Panel. The BBC understands that advisors had previously failed to reach a consensus over whether bringing in legislation risked criminalising parents or professionals who had exploratory conversations with young people experiencing gender-related distress. The government says the draft proposals include exemptions for legitimate healthcare, and set a "high threshold" for criminality so that "only acts that are abusive, seeking to change someone's identity" will be covered by the law. Dr Hilary Cass, author of a landmark report into children's gender identity services , said it was important the legislation allowed healthcare professionals to do their job "without fear of litigation". She said: "I am pleased to see that the government is bringing forward legislation which not only gives a clearer definition of what conversion practices are, compared to previous drafts, but also what they are not." The proposals will likely lead to intense scrutiny, both from campaigners who say the legislation is long-overdue, and from those who have concerns over the potential unintended consequences of a ban. Andrea Minichiello Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, says any legislation brought forward would "needlessly restrict freedom of speech and prayer". …