Conversion therapy ban is ‘just being done to appease activists’

12 April 2022

Would banning ‘conversion therapy’ be legal or compatible with human rights law?

If the government goes ahead with its current plans to ban ‘conversion therapies’, it could criminalise normal conversations about sex and sexuality, prayer for people struggling with their sexuality and identity, and counselling for the same. Christian Concern says if this happens, it would be ready to challenge the government with legal action.

The Christian Legal Centre’s Roger Kiska, who has written an extensive legal opinion on the topic, speaks to Premier Radio about why a ban would be so dangerous.

Roger comments that most of the kinds of ‘therapy’ the government is planning to make illegal are actually already illegal – such as anything that involves coercion. “The question is, what do they want to ban that isn’t already illegal?” he asks. “And is this something that is just being done to appease activists which in turn will hurt people who have legitimate reasons for wanting to search for therapy?”

“The scope is an additional problem,” says Roger. “To pass this kind of legislation, you have to show that there is a necessity for it … this is going to be criminal law and they don’t define any of the main terms: they don’t define coercion, they don’t even define what ‘conversion therapy’ is. So how is a member of the public supposed to know how to guide their actions in accordance with the law if they don’t even know what the legal meaning is?”

12 April 2022
Premier Christian Radio

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