Latest news with #BaronessFalkner
Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Equalities watchdog tells trans activists personal attacks ‘have to stop'
The equalities watchdog has told trans activists that personal attacks on her and her staff have 'got to stop'. Baroness Falkner of Margravine, the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), appeared emotional as she revealed to MPs that she had to cancel one meeting after police warned of a ' serious risk ' of violence. She said that while feminist campaigners had acted in a 'dignified and respectful' manner, trans rights activists had made it harder for her staff to come to work in safety. 'Personal attacks, libellous attacks, defamation' 'The level of agitation that they can cause in terms of personal attacks, libellous attacks, defamation, where our family members are affected – our intimate family members have to think about how they're going about to their place of work – has got to stop,' she said. 'I didn't come into public life to bleat on about myself and feel sorry for myself… I have chosen not to walk away, I have chosen to deliver in the public interest as has done every member of my board. 'And they don't need to do this, they do it because of a desire for public service, as do my senior staff.' The watchdog also repeated that companies and organisations should be using EHRC guidance on access to single-sex spaces, rather than those of groups such as Stonewall. Baroness Falkner also said guidance would be issued on how to 'respectfully' question transgender people about their biological sex. Women's rights activists who do not believe in gender ideology, the idea that sex is a spectrum and that people can change their gender identity, have had to run the gauntlet of intimidating protests from the trans rights movement for years. After the Supreme Court ruled in April that the word 'sex' in the Equality Act refers to biological sex, trans rights activists took to the streets, with one carrying a placard showing an illustration of a gallows alongside a slogan suggesting ' the only good Terf (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) ' is a hanged one. In 2022, a group called Pissed Off Trannies left more than 60 bottles of urine outside the EHRC offices and poured some of the contents into the revolving doors. The EHRC has come in for greater criticism from trans rights activists after they published guidance confirming that organisations can bar trans people from toilets and changing rooms meant for the opposite sex. 'Serious risk of violence' Appearing before the Commons women and equalities select committee, Lady Falkner spoke of the effect such violent threats had on her and her organisation. 'Sorry, I'm trying not to be emotional about this because it goes to the heart of what public service is about, and I've been involved in public service for 21 years now,' she said. 'The personal attacks – and I refer to personal attacks as well as the attacks on my staff, because we have a duty of care to our staff and we must ensure that our staff are able to work in a respectable, safe place of work. 'We were due to go to Glasgow for our regular annual board meeting in Scotland, and we were unable to go because the police hadn't been informed and there was serious risk of violence from messages that were seen. 'What bothers me more than my own personal security is that my staff should be able to come to their place of work in safety, and that has been somewhat lacking in the last several years.' Lady Falkner said those on the gender-critical side of the debate, 'who felt disadvantaged or felt the law was not supporting them, did so in a dignified, respectful manner, frequently using the last resort of a tribunal or a court to pursue justice for themselves or their loved ones'. Talking about trans rights activists, she said: 'Here we have a group that I appreciate is vulnerable, but I don't think it is fair because women and girls are vulnerable as well. 'I don't think it is fair to have a balancing act of 'who is more vulnerable'. Victimhood is not the way I approach things. 'The level of agitation that they can cause in terms of personal attacks, libellous attacks, defamation, where our family members are affected – our intimate family members have to think about how they're going about to their place of work – has got to stop.' Lady Falkner was then prevented from continuing to talk about the attacks the EHRC has faced by Sarah Owen, Labour MP and the committee chair. She then bizarrely asked her to clarify that she was not opposed to the right to protest. 'Overly hostile' Last night, Maya Forstater, chief executive of human rights charity Sex Matters, said she was 'shocked' by the 'overly hostile' questioning of some of the members of the committee. 'It was particularly shocking that when Lady Falkner talked about the pressures on EHRC staff of the protests and personal attacks, the chair of the committee, Sarah Owen MP, cut her off,' she said. 'The Supreme Court provided complete legal clarity on the meaning of 'sex' in the Equality Act. Today's proceedings suggest that some MPs simply refuse to accept that.'
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Vital new gender guidance to help organisations deal with Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman is in a 'state of limbo until EHRC chair is replaced'
Official guidance on how businesses should implement the Supreme Court gender ruling may not be released until the chair of the equality watchdog has left the role, it has been claimed. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) pledged to produce final guidance by July but this could reportedly be delayed by months amid infighting with its chair Baroness Falkner. Following April's Supreme Court ruling that sex is biological, the Commission released interim guidance that trans women 'should not be permitted to use the women's facilities'. This protects single-sex spaces in line with the landmark judgment and has wide-ranging implications for workplaces, shops, hospitals and sports clubs. This position has been reinforced by Baroness Falkner, who has made clear repeatedly that the law as set out in the Supreme Court's judgment is effective immediately and organisations must follow it. Last week she told Radio 4's Woman's Hour that we are 'aiming to give our finalised Code to government by the end of July' and 'then it's for government as to when they lay it in Parliament'. However Labour MPs concerned by the Supreme Court ruling and activist EHRC officials have begun openly briefing against Baroness Falkner and have claimed the guidance could be delayed until she is replaced in November. One MP told the Guardian: 'The government is frozen and waiting to see what the EHRC says. But I don't think we'll get anywhere with Falkner as chair. She's not neutral. 'Unless ministers are confident that all voices are being heard they won't sign off on the guidance, and they are watching this very closely. It's currently a bit of a mess.' A number of 'insiders' also told the newspaper that the guidance may not be signed off until Baroness Falkner, a crossbench peer, departs the role. Last November she was given a 12-month extension to her four-year term and will leave after this is completed. However the EHRC said the expected timeframe for issuing its guidance for approval by the Women and Equalities Minister by the end of July 'remains our position' and that 'anything else is just speculation'. John Kirkpatrick, the EHRC's chief executive, added: 'We do not recognise the views attributed to 'insiders' as being representative of our staff.' Baroness Falker's comments since the 'unambiguous' Supreme Court judgment are likely to have put her at odds with transgender activists who see the ruling as an attack on trans people. Earlier this month she wrote: 'I regret any uncertainty among duty bearers and the public that has been fuelled by misunderstanding and distortion, particularly across social media. The judgment is a model of clarity. 'The law it sets out is effective immediately. Those with duties under the Equality Act should be following it and taking specialist legal advice where necessary.' It is not the first time she has faced internal hostility. In 2023 she was cleared of allegations of bullying, discrimination and transphobia by trans activists among her own staff which led to an 'ideologically motivated witch-hunt'. The apparent plot to oust Baroness Falkner was fist expose by the Mail after she was said to have angered the trans lobby by defending women's rights. In October 2023 the EHRC closed the inquiry following the findings of an independent legal review, ordered by then women and equalities minister Kemi Badenoch. Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at human rights charity Sex Matters, said that while updating the EHRC's code of practice is important, the law is already clear following the Supreme Court's ruling. She added: 'Those claiming that the judgment is hard to understand, or that organisations should wait for further guidance, are simply trying to sow confusion where there is none.'
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Parliament told to obey ‘law of the land' over trans ban
The equalities watchdog has told Parliament to obey the 'law of the land' after it refused to ban trans women from women's lavatories. Baroness Falkner of Margravine, the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), told organisations that the updated guidance it published on Tuesday should be followed straight away. On the BBC's Women's Hour, she said groups could lay themselves open to the threat of legal action if they do not bar trans people from women's lavatories, saying: 'The law is done and dusted, the law is not going to change.' Lady Falkner added: 'My understanding of the rules that govern the Houses of Parliament is that the law of the land applies to the Houses of Parliament.' The Supreme Court ruled in April that legally a trans woman does not count as a woman, and that the word 'sex' in the Equality Act refers to biological sex and not gender identity. The EHRC then put out interim guidance to organisations to underline that in places such as hospitals, shops and restaurants, 'trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women's facilities'. A growing number of public bodies are changing their guidance in light of the judgment. The Football Association, for example, has said trans women would be banned from women's sport. But other organisations, including the NHS, have said they are awaiting guidance from the EHRC. On Tuesday, The Telegraph revealed that the House of Commons has also refused to change its guidance. A spokesman said this meant they would not change their guidance until a lengthy consultation process has ended – meaning there could be no update until July at the earliest. The House of Lords has said it will take a similar approach to the Commons. But Lady Falkner said that Parliament – and other organisations – should update their guidance straight away, after having taken their own legal advice. 'The Houses of Parliament are waiting for our guidance: our guidance is now there,' she said. 'We are confident that this consultation document and the areas that it covers are accurate, and we would urge people to read it carefully and also read the Supreme Court judgment, and also take their own legal advice. 'But organisations have to be aware that they open themselves to legal action if they don't implement the law as determined by the Supreme Court on April 16. 'What I would say is read the code of practice that we have put out, and be confident that we're pretty accurate in what we've been saying.' The EHRC chairman said the only changes that would be made to the consultation document would be on the practical examples listed within it; not the legal interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling. 'Nobody's disputing what the law of the land is; we know what the law of the land is,' she said. Pressed on how Parliament should respond, she said: 'My understanding of the rules that govern the Houses of Parliament is that the law of the land applies to the Houses of Parliament. 'I'll leave it to people in higher positions than me to make a determination on what that should be. 'But it would be quite extraordinary if Parliament didn't find itself covered by the laws of the land.' 'Social contract' Lady Falkner also said it was unlikely there would be any need for trans people to carry round birth certificates – because people would take others on 'trust'. 'We are a law-abiding but incredibly tolerant country,' she said. 'There is a social contract to allow people to live as full a life as they can. 'In terms of ' toilet police ' and people having to carry their birth certificates – we are a society where trust is important. 'People should be asked respectfully, carefully and only where necessary.' She also dismissed a legal challenge from the Good Law Project, which believes the guidance may break human rights laws. 'We don't believe they are impacted at this particular stage,' she said.
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Equalities watchdog threatened with legal action after saying trans women must use men's toilets
The equalities watchdog has been threatened with legal action after saying trans women must use men's toilets, The Independent can reveal. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)'s was published in the wake of last month's Supreme Court ruling on gender, which ruled trans women are not legally women under the Equalities Act. The guidance states that trans women 'should not be permitted to use the women's facilities' in workplaces or public-facing services such as shops and hospitals. But lawyers acting on behalf of leading UK trans rights group TransLucent have now sent a letter to the watchdog warning that the guidance 'incorrectly states the legal position' of the court ruling. The letter, seen by The Independent, criticises the body, saying it failed to consult with trans people before publishing its interim guidance, ahead of an ongoing consultation on the issue. It demands the EHRC issue a clarification statement and criticised the commission's chair Baroness Falkner's description of the ruling as a "a victory for common sense' and another which stated: "If a male is allowed to use a women-only service, it isn't any longer a single-sex space." The campaigners argue the remarks have caused 'immense distress to the trans community and confusion to both service providers and employers'. Meanwhile, lawyers Leigh Day warned: 'The worry for our client is that there has not yet been any consultation with trans communities and other affected groups, and the statements from the chair and commissioner that followed the publication of the update, particularly in relation to provision of single sex spaces, suggest that their minds are closed to any other outcome.' The letter adds: 'If those are their personal views, then, while still unsatisfactory, they should have made that very clear. In any event, it is incumbent on the EHRC to provide urgent clarity so as not to undermine the fairness of the forthcoming consultation.' It urges the EHRC to respond by May 19 and confirm whether it plans to issue clarification. Steph Richards, CEO of TransLucent, warned that the watchdog 'appears to have ignored the fact that trans people are still protected under the Equality Act and, as such, can only be legally discriminated against in circumstances when it is a 'proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim'.' It comes amid mounting concern over the impact of the EHRC's guidance, with Labour MP Nadia Whittome telling The Independent it was a 'devastating blow for trans people and their rights'. 'This guidance is not statutory but it indicates what the draft statutory guidance is likely to contain. It is essential that the government rejects it', the MP for Nottingham East said. 'The Equality and Human Rights Commission should be safeguarding trans people's rights at a time when they are being threatened. Sadly, this vital institution has fallen victim to successful attempts by the previous Conservative government to co-opt it in line with its agenda, undermining its independence and neutrality.' Meanwhile, Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, said the interim guidance was 'rushed and ill-thought-through, and was clearly drawn up without consulting trans people on their experiences and needs'. 'I'm worried that the guidance could act as a bigot's charter, emboldening people to harass and victimise trans people in public places, and the Green Party has called for it to be withdrawn until something more considered can be produced.' jane fae, director of fellow trans rights group TransActual, told The Independent the organisation is also 'watching very carefully and are ready to take legal action should it be necessary'. 'We welcome this analysis from TransLucent. It is very clear that in her intemperate rush to self publicity, the head of the EHRC Baroness Falkner did not take the time to consult with groups affected and as a result she has caused alarm, distress and further encouraged vigilantism against trans people. 'We echo TransLucent's conclusion that her stance is very concerning and would question whether she is a fit person to be in charge of the equalities commission', she said. The letter was sent to the EHRC on Monday, The Independent understands. A UK government spokesperson said: 'The EHRC is an independent regulator, and we will review their Code of Practice and work with them to ensure it provides the certainty and clarity service providers and businesses need, in line with the Supreme Court ruling.'
