Thousands of women activists, including prominent author, JK Rowling, have hailed a landmark Supreme Court decision affirming that, under the Equality Act, the terms “woman” and “sex” refer specifically to biological sex.
The ruling, delivered by Lord Hodge, saw five justices unanimously conclude that the legal definitions of “woman” and “man” in the Act must be based on biological sex, rejecting broader interpretations that include those with Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs).
This decision could significantly impact the legal standing of transgender individuals in sex-segregated spaces and services.
The case stemmed from a legal battle between the Scottish Government and women’s rights organisation For Women Scotland, which challenged attempts to redefine “woman” in legislation promoting gender parity on public boards.
The Scottish Government had argued that individuals with a GRC identifying as female should be included, but the campaign group insisted that protections should apply only to those born female.
The Supreme Court sided with the latter view, stating any broader interpretation would be “incoherent and impracticable.”
In their 88-page ruling, the justices emphasised: “The concept of sex is binary – a person is either a man or a woman.”
The verdict was met with cheers from women’s rights activists, including For Women Scotland, whose members celebrated outside the court.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling, a vocal advocate for sex-based rights, praised the ruling on social media.
“It took three extraordinary, tenacious Scottish women with an army behind them to get this case heard by the Supreme Court, and, in winning, they’ve protected the rights of women and girls across the UK. @ForWomenScot, I’m so proud to know you,” she wrote.
She later added: “Trans people have lost zero rights today, although I don’t doubt some (not all) will be furious that the Supreme Court upheld women’s sex-based rights.”
The ruling also follows years of heated debate around transgender inclusion in women-only spaces, intensified by controversial cases like that of Isla Bryson – formerly Adam Graham – a transgender individual convicted of raping two women before transitioning and being initially housed in a women’s prison.
UK Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch hailed the Supreme Court’s ruling as a “victory” for women’s rights, declaring: “The era of Keir Starmer telling us women can have penises has come to an end.”
