London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Call for rethink of Scottish gender recognition reforms

Call for rethink of Scottish gender recognition reforms

A major UK human rights body has urged the Scottish government to pause its reforms to the gender recognition process for further consideration.

Ministers want to change the system to make it easier for people to change their legally recognised gender, and a bill is expected at Holyrood this year.

But the Equality and Human Rights Commission has told them that "more detailed consideration is needed".

The government has already conducted two consultations on the plans.

A spokesperson said it would continue "to seek consensus where possible, and to work to support respectful debate".

Prominent LGBT group the Equality Network accused the EHRC of being "UK government appointees" who were "failing to stand up for equality for trans people".

The EHRC is funded by the Government Equalities Office, but insists that it operates independently of ministerial control as a regulator of equality and human rights law.

The government wants to streamline the current process for obtaining a gender recognition certificate, which it says can be "traumatic and demeaning".

Proposed changes would mean applicants would no longer have to go before the UK Gender Recognition Panel - instead applying to the Registrar General for Scotland - or produce a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

They would have to make a solemn statutory declaration that they have been living in their acquired gender for three months - down from two years - and intend to do so permanently.

A further three-month "reflection period" would mean the process would take a minimum of six months.

There has been controversy over the proposals, with campaigners and politicians including some government ministers questioning how they could affect women-only services.

And the EHRC has written to Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison to say that "more detailed consideration is needed before any change is made".

Campaigners from both sides of the issue have rallied outside the Scottish Parliament


Chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner highlighted concerns cited ranging from "those relating to the collection and use of data, participation and drug testing in competitive sport, measures to address barriers facing women and practices within the criminal justice system".

She said that while there needed to be "urgent improvements to gender identity services throughout Britain", the existing system was the best available.

She said: "The established legal concept of sex, together with the existing protections from gender reassignment discrimination for trans people and the ability for them to obtain legal recognition of their gender, collectively provide the correct balanced legal framework that protects everyone."

The Equality Network issued a furious response to the letter, with director Tim Hopkins claiming that the EHRC board was "directly appointed" by the UK government and was "failing to stand up for equality for trans people".

He added: "We do not need UK government appointees telling us in Scotland how to legislate in devolved areas, and we look forward to the Scottish government proceeding with this legislation soon."

The Scottish Greens - which form part of the Scottish government with the SNP - said the EHRC intervention was "deeply disappointing".

'Stigmatised minority'


The Scottish government has held two consultations on its plans. The first, in 2018, attracted 15,697 responses, while the second spanned 2019 and 2020 and received 17,058 submissions.

A major theme of the second consultation was consensus that "the debate has become highly polarised" and toxic, and was underpinned by "a social media culture in which people are being bullied and harassed by those taking a different view".

A Scottish government spokesperson said: "Our proposals to reform the current Gender Recognition Act do not introduce any new rights for trans people or change single sex exceptions in the Equality Act.

"Our support for trans rights does not conflict with our continued strong commitment to advance equality and to protect and uphold women's rights."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pledged to bring forward legislation in the first year of the current parliamentary term.

She said she understood that "some have sincerely held concerns" about the plans, but said it would "make the existing process of gender recognition less degrading, intrusive and traumatic".

She added: "In other words, it will make life that bit easier for one of the most stigmatised minorities in our society. What it will not do is remove any of the legal protections that women currently have."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×