Company directors and managers in England and Wales could face up to five years in prison under the Labour government's draft Conversion Practices Bill, The Telegraph reported on November 4.
The draft bill is now going through pre-legislative scrutiny. That means MPs and peers review it and take evidence before it is formally introduced in Parliament.
What the draft bill says
The draft, published on GOV.UK, creates a new crime of carrying out an "abusive conversion practice."
A "conversion practice" is any conduct meant to make someone have, or not have, a certain sexual orientation or "transgender identity." It also covers conduct meant to change what a person believes about their own identity.
To be a crime, the conduct must be "abusive." The bill says courts should consider whether it involves sexual behaviour, violence or threats, controlling or coercive behaviour, economic pressure, or "psychological or emotional pressure." It must also cause serious harm to the person's physical or mental health, or serious alarm or distress that has a "substantial adverse effect" on their day-to-day life.
The maximum penalty is five years in prison, a fine, or both. Courts could also issue "conversion practice protection orders." Breaking one could bring up to two years in prison.
Health care is treated differently. Conduct by health care providers counts only if it falls "far below the standards reasonably expected."
Why bosses are named
Section 5 of the draft covers companies and other organizations. If an organization commits the offence, a director, manager, secretary, or similar officer also commits it if he or she "authorises or permits, participates in, or fails to take all reasonable steps to prevent" it.
The Telegraph reported that this could make bosses criminally liable if staff repeatedly use the "wrong" pronouns and management does not stop it. It also reported that companies could face unlimited fines. The Daily Mail also reported concerns that company bosses could end up in court.
What the government says
Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson told LBC: "There is absolutely nothing within what we're proposing that would stop parents having reasonable conversations with their children," the Daily Mail reported on November 6.
The bill's text does not mention pronouns or workplaces directly. Critics quoted in the Telegraph and Daily Mail argue its wording on "psychological or emotional pressure" is broad enough to reach those disputes.
New warnings from a detransitioner, the Church, and a psychiatrist
Philippa Roberts, who had a double mastectomy at 19 and later stopped identifying as a man, told The Telegraph on November 6 that she fears the bill could criminalise conversations in which she shares her experience with young women considering similar surgery. Roberts said she had recently spoken to an 18-year-old at her father's request about the pain and scarring from her mastectomy.
The Church of England told The Telegraph on November 6 that the bill must not "unintentionally criminalise providing appropriate prayer and pastoral care to those who seek it." A spokesman said prayer should never be coercive, but a ban "must still allow space for discussion and disagreement." The Church said it would raise these concerns with the MPs and peers reviewing the draft.
Dr David Bell, the psychiatrist who raised concerns about the Tavistock children's gender clinic, told the Daily Mail on November 6 that the proposed law could have been used to silence those who raised the alarm. He warned it would make parents, carers, and health professionals fear criminal action if they do not affirm a child's stated gender identity.
The joint parliamentary committee is accepting written evidence until November 16, 2026.
Background
The BBC reported in June 2026 on an earlier version of the government's plans. The current draft applies to England and Wales only. If passed, it would take effect two months after becoming law.
*Cover image: AI-generated illustration for Billboard Chris.*