Legal system • Page 2
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Sex Matters welcomes review of police politicisation
The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman KC MP, has written to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Andy Cooke, to raise concerns about police involvement in politically contested matters including “gender identity”, critical race theory and climate activism. She has ordered a review of how much political involvement by the police “may...
2nd September 2023
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Paused investigation into Baroness Falkner risks equalities watchdog ‘running adrift’
Edward Malnick for The Telegraph
EHRC head accused of discrimination in her efforts to rebalance quango’s approach to trans issues, with a greater emphasis on women’s rights.
Maya Forstater of Sex Matters is quoted. -
Maya Forstater hits out at ‘ideologically captured’ CPS for guidelines stating parents could be charged with domestic abuse for refusing to pay for their child’s transgender treatment or not using their preferred pronoun
Harry Howard for Mail Online
Maya Forstater is quoted at length. -
Maya Forstater on BBC 2 Politics Live
Maya Forstater is interviewed alongside Robin Moira White by presenter Jo Coburn for BBC 2's Politics Live.
12:42 on YouTube -
New guidance on trivial, malicious and irrational complaints
The College of Policing has published new Authorised Professional Practice (APP) guidance on ‘Responding to hate’, which states that non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) must not be recorded if the complaint is trivial, malicious or irrational. This follows on from the Court of Appeal’s judgment in the case of Harry Miller v...
19th June 2023
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Westminster Hall debate on our petition to make the Equality Act clear
Monday 12th June 2023 For the full official transcription of the debate, see Hansard. In the Chair, Judith Cummins began by reminding everyone that the petitions being debated indirectly related to two ongoing legal cases in the Scottish courts, but that reference to those would be allowed. Tonia Antoniazzi (Gower)...
13th June 2023
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Make the Equality Act clear: resources for MPs
Links to the Westminster Hall debate on 12th June 2023, a single-sheet briefing for MPs, and other resources summarising the issues and answering frequently asked questions.
12th June 2023
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Maya Forstater: Today’s Common debate on sex, gender and the Equality Act. The Government must clear up this mess.
Maya Forstater for Conservative Home
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Make the Equality Act clear: easy-read version
This is the seventh in a series of blog posts in the run up to the debate on 12th June about clarifying the Equality Act. When governments consult on major legal changes or produce guidance on laws, they often produce easy-read versions. These use simple words and pictures to...
8th June 2023
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Why the Equality Act should be sorted out with legislation
This is the fifth in a series of blog posts in the run up to the debate on 12th June about clarifying the Equality Act. Stonewall argues that clarifying the Equality Act is unnecessary. But the Equality Act is ambiguous, with legal experts unable to say with certainty whether...
5th June 2023
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Campaigners reveal in new poll majority of Britons want trans ban in female spaces
Sarah O’Grady, Social Affairs Editor for the Daily Express
Feature on Sex Matters’ poll results, released on 5th June 2023. -
Less than third of Britons want transwomen allowed in female-only spaces
James Beal, Social Affairs Editor for The Times
Feature on Sex Matters’ poll results, released on 5th June 2023. -
Fewer than a third of Brits think trans women should be allowed to use female changing rooms and three-quarters want them excluded from women’s sport
Ryan Hooper for the Daily Mail
Feature on Sex Matters’ poll results, released on 5th June 2023. -
Less than a third of Brits say transwomen should be allowed in female-only spaces and sports
Sex Matters has today released the findings from a representative national poll. It finds that less than one in three Britons believe that transwomen – men who identify as women – should be allowed in women’s sports, changing rooms and toilets, or to provide ‘female-only’ intimate care. The lack...
5th June 2023
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Sex Matters poll results as graphics (for printing)
A six-page graphical summary of the figures from our poll: a nationally representative sample of over-18s, polled online on 15th May 2023 by PeoplePolling. Optimised for printing.
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Sex Matters poll results as graphics (for screen)
A six-page graphical summary of the figures from our poll: a nationally representative sample of over-18s, polled online on 15th May 2023 by PeoplePolling.
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Sex and gender in legislation: the case against “legal sex change”
Understanding GRA2004 as making a "legal sex change" is erroneous and overstates the effect of a gender recognition certificate. "Legal sex” has been misconceptualised. Whilst clarification of the law is desirable, qualifying “sex” in legislation in any way is unnecessary, has undesirable consequences and carries significant risk throughout domestic...
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Equality Act and sex – important Scots cases on the horizon
Michael Foran for Scottish Legal News
Two cases concerning the meaning of sex within the Equality Act:
• the appeal of Petition of For Women Scotland CSOH 90 and the decision of Lady Haldane
• the Scottish government’s judicial review of the s.35 order used to prevent the Gender Recognition... -
How the public-sector equality duty was turned against women
This is the fourth in a series of blog posts in the run up to the debate on 12th June about clarifying the Equality Act. One of the most important places where it matters that sex clearly means sex in the Equality Act is the public-sector equality duty. This...
2nd June 2023
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Sex in the Equality Act: the Westminster Hall debate – webinar
On 8th June 2023, Helen Joyce talked to academic Michael Foran and barrister Naomi Cunningham on about the upcoming Westminster Hall debate on clarifying the Equality Act. Among the questions discussed: Watch the recording For other Sex Matters webinars, see our YouTube channel. Background To learn more about the...
1st June 2023
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Why “sex” and “gender” mean the same thing in law
This is the second in a series of blog posts in the run up to the debate on 12th June about clarifying the Equality Act. The language of sex and gender is a confusing quagmire. The amendment we are proposing aims to clarify one particularly important thing: that the...
31st May 2023
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Why we don’t want “biological” added before “sex” in the law
This is the first of a series of blog posts in the run up to the debate on 12th June about clarifying the Equality Act. The word “sex” appears 268 times in the Equality Act 2010; “same sex” appears 48 times, “opposite sex” 28 times. Our petition says: Update...
30th May 2023
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Teacher who ‘misgendered’ pupil banned from profession
Louisa Clarence-Smith for The Telegraph
Joshua Sutcliffe, a Christian who also spoke out against gay marriage, says he is 'devastated' by ruling finding him guilty of misconduct. -
This is a despicable witch-hunt by the trans lobby against a fine and principled woman
Maya Forstater for the Daily Mail
Maya Forstater writes in defence of Baroness Falkner, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. -
We call on GANHRI to protect civic space
On 3rd May 2023 Stonewall and a group of organisations wrote to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) accusing Britain’s equalities watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, of being a “failed institution” which is “actively harming trans people”. This is the third time Stonewall has...
16th May 2023
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Letter to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI)
Our 12th May 2023 letter, signed by 24 organisations, to Katharina Rose, Geneva Representative of GANHRI, asking it to support Great Britain and its national human-rights institution, the EHRC, in protecting everyone’s human rights and fostering dialogue between organisations that also respect rights.
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Letter to the College of Policing
Our detailed comments in response to to the consultation on the Authorised Professional Practice Recording and retention of non-crime hate incidents (APP) – the consultation draft is concerning.
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Sex in the Equality Act FAQs
Answers to frequently asked questions about sex in the Equality Act 2010 and Sex Matters’ proposed clarification.
10th April 2023
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Two weeks to go!
Last October, Sex Matters launched a petition asking the government to amend the Equality Act 2010 in order to make clear what the protected characteristic of sex actually means. We think it should mean biological sex – male or female; the personal characteristic that is recorded on newborns’ birth...
6th April 2023
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Webinar: Sex Matters in the Equality Act
Helen Joyce talked with our chair, Naomi Cunningham, and our executive director, Maya Forstater, about the Sex Matters proposal to amend the Equality Act to clarify that the protected characteristic of sex refers to biological sex, and not “sex as modified by a gender-recognition certificate”.
Thursday 30th March...