Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Bill 2024

Public bill · Private Member · Introduced

The proposal would create a specific criminal offence for “catfishing” — pretending to be another person online or by phone using their name, voice, photo, signature or likeness without consent, where it causes alarm, distress or harm. It would also let courts impose protection-style orders, such as banning contact or restricting approach to the affected person’s home, school or workplace, and make breaches of those orders an offence. Penalties could include fines or prison, with higher sentences on indictment, and previous related offences could count as an aggravating factor at sentencing. It would also update broadcasting rules so online content involving catfishing can be dealt with under the same framework.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to provide for an offence for the action commonly known as catfishing and for that purpose to provide for the identification of such an offence; to amend and extend the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 and to provide for consequential amendments to the Broadcasting Act 2009; and to provide for related matters.

Last updated 22 May 2025