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Regional secretary with the National Education Union
Supreme court: ‘Woman’ in equality law refers to biological women
Susan smith (left) and Marion Calder, co-directors of For Women Scotland, with campaigners celebrate outside the Supreme Court in London, April 16, 2025

THE term “woman” in the Equality Act refers to biological sex and those with a gender recognition certificate can be refused entry to same-sex spaces if proportionate, according to Britain’s highest court.

The landmark 88-page Supreme Court judgment was prompted by the then SNP-Green Scottish government’s 2022 Gender Recognition Act, passed with the stated intention of relaxing the process to obtain a gender recognition certificate (GRC), the key to changing legally assigned gender.

That was struck down by the British government, which argued it would impact the operation of the 2010 Equality Act.

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