United Kingdom: the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex, rules the Supreme Court (Le Figaro)
- La Petite Sirène
- Apr 25
- 1 min read
Par Sidonie Rahola-Boyer - Publié le 16 avril 2025 - Le Figaro
The legal dispute began in 2018, when the Scottish Parliament passed a bill to ensure gender balance on public sector boards.
After several years of litigation, the verdict in the case between the Scottish Government and For Women Scotland has finally been delivered. The UK Supreme Court ruled this morning on how a woman should be legally defined, particularly in the context of the 2010 Equality Act. The Act offers protection against discrimination, particularly on the grounds of ‘sex’ and ‘gender reassignment’.
Legal definition of woman is based on biological sex, UK supreme court rules (The Guardian)
Severin Carrell, rédacteur en chef pour l'Écosse
Mercredi 16 avril 2025
Judges say Equality Act definition excludes transgender women, after gender-critical campaigners’ challenge
The UK supreme court has issued a historic and definitive ruling that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act refer only to a biological woman and to biological sex.
In a decision that delighted gender-critical activists, five judges ruled unanimously that the legal definition of a woman in the Equality Act 2010 did not include transgender women who hold gender recognition certificates (GRCs).
The judgment could have far-reaching ramifications and lead to greater restrictions on the access for trans women to services and spaces reserved for women. It prompted calls for the UK’s laws on gender recognition to be rewritten.
