U.K. Top Court Says Trans Women Do Not Meet Legal Definition of Women Under Equality Act

The Supreme Court in Britain ruled on Wednesday that trans women do not fall within the legal definition of women under the country’s equality legislation.

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.”

However, he added: “We counsel against reading this judgment as a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another, it is not.” He said the ruling “does not cause disadvantage to trans people” because they have protections under existing anti-discrimination and equality laws.

The landmark judgment follows a yearslong legal battle over whether trans women can be regarded as female under the 2010 law, which aims to prevent discrimination on the basis of gender, sexuality, race and other protected characteristics.

The highly anticipated decision could have far-reaching consequences for how the law is applied to single sex spaces, equal pay claims and maternity policies as well as to some of the rights available to transgender people in Britain.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.