Legal definition of ‘woman’ not applicable to transgenders, rules UK Supreme Court
Announcing the decision on Wednesday, deputy president of the court, Lord Hodge, said: “The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological women and biological sex.”
Women's rights activists hold placards outside the Supreme Court to challenge gender recognition laws, in London, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Supreme Court in Britain ruled on Wednesday that transgender women do not fall within the legal definition of women under the country’s equality legislation and is only based on biological sex.
The judgment follows a years-long legal battle over whether trans women can be regarded as female under Britain’s 2010 Equality Act, which aims to prevent discrimination.
Announcing the decision on Wednesday, the deputy president of the court, Lord Hodge, said: “The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological women and biological sex.”
The ruling means that a transgender person with a certificate that recognises them as female should not be considered a woman for equality purposes.
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