Feds table broadened bill to ban conversion therapy in Canada

The federal government has tabled a reworked bill aiming to outright prohibit both adults and children from being subjected to conversion therapy practices.The legislation, titled Bill C-4, proposes to eliminate the harmful practice in Canada, and includes a wider-reaching definition of what constitutes conversion therapy, with the Liberals aiming to see the bill pass before the end of 2021.

The legislation, titled Bill C-4, proposes to eliminate the harmful practice in Canada for all ages, through four new Criminal Code offences. It includes wider-reaching vocabulary of what constitutes conversion therapy than what the federal government attempted to pass in the last Parliament.

After the Liberals promised in campaign to re-introduce legislation within the first 100 days of a new mandate, the legislation, if passed, would make it a crime punishable by up to five years in prison to cause another person to undergo conversion therapy.

The previous version of the legislation sought to outlaw forcing anyone into conversion therapy, but left the door open to consenting adults in limited circumstances.

The 11-page bill maintains the offences for taking a child outside of Canada with the intention of the child undergoing conversion therapy in another country. As well, it seeks to criminalize promoting, advertising, or profiting from providing the practice, with those found guilty of these offences facing up to two years in prison.