UK Supreme Court says legal definition of 'woman' excludes trans women, in landmark ruling

Source: CNN

UK Supreme Court says legal definition of ‘woman’ excludes trans women, in landmark ruling

By Sana Noor Haq, CNN
4 minute read
Updated 11:06 AM EDT, Wed April 16, 2025

London (CNN) — The United Kingdom’s highest court ruled that the legal definition of “woman” excludes trans women, in a case with sweeping consequences for how equality laws are applied.

Britain’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the definition of a woman in equality legislation refers to “a biological woman and biological sex,” sparking celebrations outside court among gender-critical campaigners but warnings it was a “worrying” development for transgender people.

The case centered on whether trans women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) – which offers legal recognition of someone’s female sex – are protected from discrimination as a woman under the nation’s Equality Act 2010.

A group of campaigners in Scotland brought a challenge in 2018, arguing that those rights should only safeguard those assigned as women at birth. But the Scottish government said that a trans woman with a GRC is legally a woman and should therefore be afforded the same legal protections.

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Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/16/uk/uk-supreme-court-ruling-definition-woman-intl/index.html