EHRC accused of 'bullying' government over trans single-sex spaces guidance
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EHRC accused of 'bullying' government over trans single-sex spaces guidance
"Following the UK Supreme Court's verdict in April in the case of For Women Scotland vs Scottish Ministers - which decided the 2010 Equality Act's definition of a woman is based on biological sex only - the EHRC swiftly published widely-criticised interim guidance that recommended service providers bar trans men and women from single-sex services and facilities that align with their gender, adding in "some circumstances" trans people can also be barred from spaces based on "biological sex"."
"After the interim guidance was published, the watchdog launched a consultation period on updating its Code of Practice to reflect the Supreme Court ruling, which was subsequently extended from two weeks to six after pressure from the Women and Equalities Committee and trans groups who criticised the limitations of the original time frame. At the beginning of September, the EHRC announced it had sent a finished version of the Code to the equalities minister - and favourite to become Labour's deputy leader - Bridget Phillipson."
"During a debate in the House of Lords on Wednesday (15 October), Labour peer Baroness Thornton said Keir Starmer's Labour government should not rush out the guidance "through being bullied by the EHRC". She said: "My Lords, can my noble friend the Minister confirm that six weeks, which included the summer, is actually not a very long time? Does he agree that the crucial matter here is to ensure that the guidance is right, respects the dignity and rights of individuals an"
A UK Supreme Court ruling in April in For Women Scotland held that the 2010 Equality Act defines a woman by biological sex. The Equality and Human Rights Commission issued interim guidance advising service providers to bar trans men and women from single-sex services aligned to their gender and allowed barring in some circumstances based on biological sex. The EHRC opened a consultation on updating its Code of Practice and extended the consultation period from two to six weeks after external pressure. The EHRC sent a finalised Code to equalities minister Bridget Phillipson in early September, but the guidance remained unpublished six weeks later. Baroness Thornton urged caution and said the government should not be rushed "through being bullied by the EHRC," emphasising that guidance must respect dignity and rights.
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