‘We don't want to go back to court', says women's group over gender ruling delay

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13 hours ago

The group responsible for the landmark ruling on the definition of a woman said it may have to take the Scottish Government back to court if it does not speed up its implementation of the decision.
For Women Scotland (FWS) challenged the meaning of a woman in the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act, with the UK's highest court ruling the definition in the 2010 Equality Act referred to biological sex.
The decision is likely to have far-reaching implications for transgender people in accessing services, but the Scottish Government has declined to make changes to guidance until the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issues its own guidance, which is expected to take place in the coming months.
But speaking at a fringe event at the Scottish Conservative conference in Edinburgh, FWS co-director Susan Smith said the group was considering a further legal challenge against the Government.
Speaking to journalists after the event, she said: 'We have spoken to the Scottish Government and asked them to withdraw some of this guidance, just to say that it's under review – they don't have to re-issue anything at this point – because it's clearly unlawful, we really do need some action.
'They're telling us they have to wait for the EHRC revised guidance and we don't believe this is true.'
Ms Smith added that, if a woman were to be assaulted in prison by a transgender prisoner, the Government could be taken to court by the victim.
'I think they need to step up and take a bit of responsibility because these things are under their remit,' she said.
She added: 'We don't want to go back to court, we really, really don't, but if we don't see some action that may be something we will have to consider.'
Ms Smith said the group is speaking with its lawyers but she would not say if there was a timeline for action to begin.
The co-director stressed that if ministers were concerned about a challenge to their guidance from the pro-trans rights side of the argument, they should be worried about one from FWS and other such groups too.
'They seem worried about a legal challenge from the other side,' she said.
'But my message to them would be they should be more worried about a legal challenge from the people who have the law on their side.'
Ms Smith was joined at the fringe meeting – which was hosted by Tory MSP Pam Gosal – by former foreign secretary James Cleverly.
Mr Cleverly was part of the Conservative-led government which blocked the Scottish Government's controversial gender reforms.
The Government proposed removing the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria as a requirement for obtaining a gender recognition certificate – a process known as self identification.
The move was scuppered by then-Scottish secretary Alister Jack, who used Section 35 of the Scotland Act to block the legislation.
Mr Cleverly told attendees the move showed the 'importance of the union'.
'This issue was clearly spiralling out of control, badly out of control,' he said.