Supreme Court Ruling
6 hours ago
On 16 April 2025, the UK Supreme Court made an important decision in the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v Scottish Ministers. The court clarified that the terms “man,” “woman,” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex, not gender identity or legal gender recognition via a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC).
What this means for Carmarthenshire County Council:
- Sex-based rights and protections will now be interpreted and applied based on biological sex.
- Single-sex services and spaces (e.g., toilets, changing rooms, shelters) must reflect this clarified definition under the Equality Act.
- Equality and diversity policies may need to be reviewed and updated to ensure they comply with the ruling.
- Transgender colleagues and customers remain fully protected under the Equality Act 2010 from discrimination based on gender reassignment.
- The Gender Recognition Act 2004 remains valid, but initiatives addressing sex-based inequality must be grounded in biological sex.
This ruling does not change our commitment to treating everyone with dignity and respect. We will continue to support and protect staff and service users of all identities.
Further guidance will be provided to help teams understand and implement these changes appropriately.
If you have any questions, please contact Equalities@carmarthenshire.gov.uk