Supreme Court latest: NHS to consider gender ruling - as Lord Coe reacts (2025)

Thanks for following our live coverage of today's Supreme Court ruling.

Here's a rundown of the key points:

• The Supreme Court in the UK has ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex, in a victory for gender critical campaigners;
  
• The Scottish government had argued that transgender people with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) are entitled to sex-based protections, while campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS) argued they only apply to people that are born female;
• Judges said the "concept of sex is binary" but cautioned the ruling should not be seen as a victory for one side over the other;
• They added that trans people still have legal protection from discrimination;
• FWS said it was grateful for the decision, while the Scottish government accepted the ruling and says it will now work with Westminster to understand its full implications;
• Trans rights campaigners said there was "deep concern at the widespread implications" of the ruling, which Stonewall said was "incredible worrying" for the trans community.

You can read through all the reaction and analysis as it came in by scrolling back through the blog, or you can read the full story here.

An activist and Glasgow Green campaign manager has been speaking to Sky News this evening following the Supreme Court ruling.

Speaking to Sky'sKamali Melbourne, Ellie Gomersall said the Supreme Court ruling today "undid a 20-year understanding that a trans person who had obtained a gender recognition certificate (GRC) is for the vast majority legally recognised as their acquired gender".

"This undoes that," she said.

Earlier today, the court stated that the ruling did not diminish the protections available for trans people who have a gender recognition certificate.

Asked about this, Gomersall added: "Nothing will change in law. Even so, I think it's now impossible to ever be permanently recognised for who we are.

"It is worrying."

Domestic abuse charity Refuge says the Supreme Court's ruling will not change the way it operates.

Gemma Sherrington, its chief executive, said: "We remain firmly committed to supporting all survivors of domestic abuse, including trans women.

"Refuge offers a range of specialist services that are accessible to trans women, including our helpline, community-based support, and some accommodation-based services. These are designed to provide safety, dignity, and tailored support to meet individual needs.

"Our commitment to compassion and inclusion remains at the heart of our work, and we continue to develop and strengthen services to meet the needs of every survivor."

By Rob Harris, sports correspondent

While not telling football directly how to respond, Sebastian Coe was clear in his Sky News interview that sports need to provide clarity on gender eligibility policies.

Football is one of the biggest sports at a global level to still be assessing what to do, with a FIFA review ongoing for at least three years.

That period has seen Lord Coe's World Athletics impose a complete ban from women's events on transgender women and those with differences of sex development. Swab tests are also due to become mandatory for all female athletes to verify they were female at birth.

But football has treaded more carefully, perhaps in part because there are no known transgender women potentially trying to play at the Women's World Cup.

There are also believed to be no professional trans players in women's football in England.

But the Football Association told Sky News last week that there are believed to be around 20 transgender women playing in women's amateur football in England this season.

And there are updated guidelines allowing the FA to prohibit trans women from women's games over safety and fairness concerns at the lower level. English football still has policies requiring trans women to maintain blood testosterone below a particular level.

What is unclear is how and when the FA will intervene to block any trans women from playing against those biologically female.

There are concerns about trans women with physical advantages of having gone through male puberty injuring female opponents.

And there are already calls from activists for the FA to impose a more clear cut, blanket policy following the Supreme Court ruling that a woman is defined by their biological sex.

It is the clarity Lord Coe believes removes uncertainty and disputes over individual athletes.

Scotland's first minister has said he will not apologise to women after his government's case in the Supreme Court regarding the legal definition of a woman was defeated.

Speaking to the Daily Record's Planet Holyrood podcast, John Swinney said his government had acted in "good faith" over the case, but said he was unsure how much the legal bills would cost the taxpayer.

Campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS) had brought a series of challenges over the definition of woman in Scottish government legislation, which was mandating 50% female representation on public boards.

In particular, the dispute centred on those with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) that showed their gender as female should be treated as a woman under the UK 2010 Equality Act.

"I accept the outcome of the Supreme Court case. I believe in the rule of law. The right and the immediate thing to do is to accept without question the judgement of the Supreme Court," Swinney said.

Asked if he would apologise to women, he said: "We have acted in good faith on this question. We have tried to navigate our way through two pieces of legislation, during which of course our position has been supported twice by courts in Scotland in this particular case."

He also said today's ruling marked "the end of the matter".

This morning's judgement is the "right way forward" for sport, according to a former Olympian.

Scottish badminton player Susan Egelstaff told BBC Radio Scotland that "in a sporting context, I think it is right that trans women aren't able to compete against biological women in the female category".

"I think it's the right way going forward."

She said "individuals should be allowed to live how they want, dress how they want, do what they want, but there are some areas I think should be protected for biological females.

"Sport is one of those areas."

Some more political reaction now, this time fromIndependent MP Rosie Duffield, who quit Labour last year overdifferences in opinion over policy, as well as the prime minister's decision to accept thousands of pounds worth of gifts while in opposition.

While in the party, Duffield consistently expressed opposition to transgender women being able to access single-sex spaces and suggested Sir Keir Starmer had a "problem with women".

She tonight has been speaking to Sky's political correspondent Ali Fortescue.

Kicking off the interview, Fortescue read out a comment by fellow independent MP John McDonnell, who wrote on X: "The fact the court failed to hear the voice of a single trans person may help explain why today's decision lacked humanity and fairness and instead replaced them with a narrow definition of the Equality Act.

"There has to be a better and empathetic way forward that respects trans rights."

Asked what she made of McDonnell's words, Duffield said: "I think it's a real shame that those who've been in the party for ages fail to put women's rights at the centre of our political movement.

"Women are 51% of the population. This ruling doesn't affect trans people in the slightest. It's about women's rights: women's rights to single sex spaces, women's rights, not to be discriminated against.

"It literally doesn't change a single thing for trans rights and that lack of understanding from a senior politician about the law is a bit worrying, actually."

Asked whether she had some sympathy with trans people, whom the judge said were a vulnerable and often harassed minority, she replied: "It's nothing to do with this ruling, but I've always had sympathy for them. They are protected in the Equality Act as they always should have been.

"Trans rights are the same as every other human right, but women have come across the fact that our rights have clashed with men with a gender recognition certificate, and now people who just say that they are women and people who self-identify into women's groups will no longer be allowed to do so."

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) will rewrite its code of practice in the wake of today's Supreme Court ruling.

The commission is responsible for the enforcement of equality and non-discrimination laws in England, Scotland and Wales, but is independent from government.

Baroness Kishwer Falkner, its chairman, said: "We will take the outcome of this appeal into account in our ongoing work as the regulator of the Equality Act.

"That includes the development of our revised code of practice which, subject to ministerial approval, is expected to be laid before Parliament before the summer recess.

"We will be working at pace to incorporate the implications of this judgment into the updated Code, which supports service providers, public bodies and associations to understand their duties under the Equality Act and put them into practice.

"Where this judgment impacts upon our other advice for duty-bearers, such as our single-sex services guidance, we will review it as a matter of urgency and alert users to where guidance has been withdrawn or needs to be updated."

How do you define a woman according to the law?

Today's ruling sets out the answer to that exact question - here's Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies to take you through it.

Today's Supreme Court ruling will probably have an impact on transgender people being allowed to compete in sport, a researcher on transgender athletic performance has said.

Dr Joanna Harper told Sky's Mark Austin she did not welcome the news.

"I think it is a retrograde step and I think it's unwelcome for all trans people," she said.

She said it was her scientific belief that "after gender affirming hormone therapy, the advantages [that a transgender woman has competing in women's sports] are mitigated to the point where trans women and cis women can compete in meaningful competition".

But she said the ruling today means it's going to be "more difficult" for that view to be heard.

She also said that while today's ruling is being welcomed by many, it doesn't offer the finality that people think it may.

"Only 1% of the population is transgender, so there's not enough people to make a robust transgender category," she said.

"And then do you have one category for trans women, one category for trans men, and yet another category for non-binary people? It raises a lot of questions, and it doesn't really help things."