“Attack on trans equality”: Human rights body slammed for urging Scotland to pause gender recognition reforms
One of the UK’s largest human rights bodies called on the Scottish government to pause plans to simplify the gender recognition process.
Ministers in the country are currently seeking to update the system in order to make changing someone’s legally recognised gender a smoother process – with a bill expected at Holyrood sometime in 2022.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which aims to promote and uphold equality laws in the UK and is funded by the UK government’s Equalities Office, suggested to Shona Robison (the Social Justice Secretary who is overseeing the proposed changes) in a letter on 26 January that “more detailed consideration” was required – despite the government already conducting two consultations on the plans.
Chairwoman of the EHRC Baroness Kishwer Falkner agreed that “urgent improvements to gender identity services throughout Britain” are needed, though expressed her concerns over “those relating to the collection and use of data, participation and drug testing in competitive sport, measures to address barriers facing women and practices within the criminal justice system”.
