Thank you to those constituents who have written to me about the recent Supreme Court ruling and the potential consequences.

On Tuesday (22 April), the Women and Equalities Minister made a statement in the House of Commons on the Supreme Court judgment in the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers. On 16 April, the Court ruled that sex in the Equality Act means biological sex, meaning a person will be considered as their biological sex for the purposes of the Act, whether they have a Gender Recognition Certificate or not.

The Women and Equalities Minister welcomed the judgment for bringing clarity and confidence for women and service providers. It means that single-sex spaces must be protected, and that clear guidance must be available across a range of settings, from healthcare and prisons to sport and single-sex support groups. However, the Supreme Court also stressed that trans people do retain clear protections in law and should be able to live their lives free of harassment and discrimination. Single-sex spaces should not come at the expense of treating trans people fairly.

Following the ruling, the Equality and Human Rights Commission is now revising its code of practice, which will then be reviewed by the Government. I appreciate that everyone wants clarification as soon as possible, but because this is a complex area, this must be a thorough process. The guidance will ensure appropriate provision, with dignity for all.

I want to be clear that this case is not about the triumph of one group at the expense of another, or about winners or losers. We need a society that treats everyone with respect and protects everyone from harassment, violence or intimidation, and I share the Government’s commitment to protecting trans people, such as through a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, and its work to equalise all existing types of hate crime in England and Wales.

Best wishes

Rt Hon Hilary Benn
MP for Leeds South
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland