‘The number of racially or religiously aggravated offences in England and Wales rose in June and July, most likely linked to Black Lives Matters rallies and far-right counter-protests, the Home Office has said.’
The Guardian, 13th October 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘On 14 September 2020, the employment tribunal ruled that the gender reassignment protections afforded by section 7 of the Equality Act 2010 should be read to include those who identify as non-binary and/or gender fluid.’
Law Society's Gazette, 12th October 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘There has been a surge in reports of transphobic hate crimes across the UK. Crime statistics obtained by the BBC show that between the latest year – and the one before – there was an increase of 25%.’
BBC News, 11th October 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Last month the equalities minister, Liz Truss, announced that some reforms to the Gender Recognition Act would go ahead but one key aspect – allowing trans people to self-identify without a medical diagnosis – would not be adopted. The issue has divided ‘gender critical’ feminists from those who are more trans-inclusive. Is there a route to reconciliation?’
The Guardian, 9th October 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Stephen Whittle has been at the heart of trans activism for half a century. He discusses the legal and political progress that has been made over the past few decades while the Guardian’s Scotland correspondent Libby Brooks examines why there was a backlash over the 2015 Gender Recognition Act, which proposed a further expansion of trans rights.’
The Guardian, 8th October 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Trans people in England and Wales will continue to be “forced through harmful processes” if they wish to have their gender recognised under a law the UK government has decided not to update, human rights groups have warned.’
Each Other, 22nd September 2020
Source: eachother.org.uk
‘Ministers have ruled out changes to make it easier for transgender people in England and Wales to have their gender legally recognised.’
BBC News, 22nd September 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Ministers are unlikely to back a major reform to the Gender Recognition Act, it is understood, amid fresh uncertainty over when the government will actually announce its plans.’
BBC News, 14th July 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘People seeking asylum in the UK and Europe on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity are routinely seeing their claims rejected because of a widespread “culture of disbelief” and an “impossible burden of proof”, researchers have said.’
The Guardian, 9th July 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Dee is one of approximately just 6,000 transgender people to have obtained a GRC under the Gender Recognition Act since it came into force in 2005. This statistic speaks volumes when compared with the actual number of trans people living in the UK which, according to the Government Equalities Office, is estimated at between 200,000 and 500,000.’
Each Other, 20th May 2020
Source: eachother.org.uk
‘This case concerns an appeal by Alfred McConnell (previously anonymised as TT in the first instance decision). Mr McConnell was born female but around 10 years ago, at the age of 22, transitioned to become male, undergoing testosterone treatment and a double mastectomy. His passport and medical records recorded him as male. In September 2016, Mr McConnell commenced fertility treatment in order to have a child. He was also recorded as male at the fertility clinic. A gender recognition certificate was awarded shortly after in April 2017 so that Mr McConnell could be legally recognised as male. In January 2018, he gave birth to a son, who continued to be known as YY in this appeal. When registering the child’s birth, Mr McConnell was informed that he had to be recognised as the child’s mother on the birth certificate. He sought judicial review of this decision, claiming that he should be recognised as ‘father’, ‘parent’ or ‘gestational’ parent, and that being recognised as ‘mother’ interfered with his and YY’s rights under Article 8 and Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. A declaration of parentage, that Mr McConnell is the father, was also made on behalf of YY, under section 55A of the Family Law Act 1986.’
Transparency Project, 10th May 2020
Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk
‘The High Court has granted a campaign group permission for a judicial review challenge over Oxfordshire County Council’s guidance on transgender issues in schools.’
Local Government Lawyer, 29th April 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘A transgender man who gave birth has lost his appeal court battle to be registered as a father in a case that wrestled with the legal definition of motherhood and transgender rights.’
The Guardian, 29th April 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘In Forstater v CGD (2019), a think tank did not renew its contract for consultancy services with the claimant, Maya Forstater, allegedly because of Forstater expressing so-called ‘gender critical’ beliefs. Forstater claimed that she had suffered direct discrimination for having a protected belief under section 10 of the Equality Act 2010. In a preliminary decision, the employment tribunal considered whether the claimant’s belief was indeed protected. Tayler J identified the core of the claimant’s belief to be that sex is biologically immutable and, in no circumstances, is a trans woman ‘a woman’ or a trans man ‘a man’, even when the person in question has a Gender Recognition Certificate under the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (paragraph [77]). Due to the belief’s ‘no circumstances’ aspect, the judge labelled it ‘absolutist’ ([84]).’
Oxford Human Rights Hub, 22nd March 2020
Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk
‘A trans woman who threatened shop staff with a claw hammer escaped prison after a court heard there was no way to confirm her gender.
Daily Telegraph, 27th February 2020
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘On 14 February 2020, the High Court (Mr Justice Julian Knowles) held that Humberside Police had disproportionately interfered with the rights of free speech of the Claimant, Harry Miller, under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“ECHR”).’
Monckton Chambers, 21st February 2020
Source: www.monckton.com
‘The case of R (Miller) v The College of Policing & The Chief Constable of Humberside [2020] EWHC 225 (Admin) is yet another decision arising out of an individual’s use of Twitter to share transphobic, or as they see it “gender critical”, views.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 21st February 2020
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘Over the years, Panopticon has discussed a number of cases about the powers of the police to record, retain, and disseminate information about individuals. The judgment of Mr. Justice Julian Knowles in R (ota Harry Miller) v (1) The College of Policing, and (2) The Chief Constable of Humberside [2020] EWHC 225 (Admin) is a significant contribution to the law in this area. In Panopticon terms the case is unusual, in that the issues are discussed by reference to the right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“ECHR”), rather than by reference to Article 8 or data protection legislation.’
Panopticon Blog, 17th February 2020
Source: panopticonblog.com
‘Police officers unlawfully interfered with a man’s right to freedom of expression by turning up at his place of work to speak to him about allegedly “transphobic” tweets, the high court has ruled.’
The Guardian, 14th February 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
© Inner Temple Library 2020