Supreme Court to announce ruling on definition of a woman – ryan

The legal dispute began in 2018, when the scottish parliament passed a bill designed to ensure gender balance on public sector boards.

For women scotland complained that ministers had included transgender people as part of the quotas in that law.

After several cases in the Scottish courts, the issue has been sent to the Supreme Court in London for a final ruling.

For women scotland has warned that if the court sides with the government, it would have implications for the running of single-sex spaces and services, such as hospital Wards, Prisons, Refuges and support groups.

Transgender people have warned the case could erode the protections they have against discrimination in their reasigned gender.

Amnesty International has said that since the equality act protects other minority groups, the case could be the “Thin End of the Wedge” which could undermine other rights.

The equality and human rights commission – the regulator in charge of enforcing the 2010 act – has called for legal reform as a result of the case.

The Scottish parliament passed reforms in 2022 that would have made it easier for someone to change their legally recognized sex.

The move was blocked by the UK Government, and has since been dropped by Holyrood Ministers.