UK Proposes Five-Year Prison Terms for Conversion Therapy Offences

June 26, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

The United Kingdom government has published draft legislation that would criminalise conversion practices aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity in England and Wales.

Under the proposed Conversion Practices Bill, individuals found guilty of carrying out abusive or harmful conversion practices could face unlimited fines and prison sentences of up to five years.

The draft law would also make it an offence to encourage or assist conversion practices conducted outside England and Wales, extending restrictions beyond activities carried out within the country.

The government said the legislation delivers on a commitment first made in 2021 and renewed in January 2023 to ban conversion practices.

The bill includes civil protection measures designed to safeguard people at risk of abuse, with provisions similar to existing protections against forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

The proposed legislation also includes exemptions for legitimate healthcare, allowing medical professionals, therapists and counsellors to continue discussions about sexuality and gender identity without fear of criminalisation.

The bill will undergo pre-legislative scrutiny before being introduced to Parliament for further debate.

Source: FSX Business News