Keir Starmer orders hospitals, universities, and other public institutions to comply with anti-trans Supreme Court ruling

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has directed hospitals, universities, and other public institutions to comply with the Supreme Court's anti-trans ruling that defines legal sex based on biological sex, not gender identity - even for individuals with a Gender Recognition Certificate.

The April 2025 ruling clarified that under the Equality Act 2010, the terms “man” and “woman” refer to biological sex. This decision allows single-sex spaces such as toilets, changing rooms, and hospital wards to be legally reserved for biological women only, which will affect the lives of trans people up and down the country. 

“We’ve accepted the ruling, welcomed the ruling, and everything else flows from that as far as I’m concerned,” Starmer told reporters. “All guidance of whatever kind needs to be consistent with the ruling, and we need to get to that position as soon as possible”. 

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) rushed out interim guidance shortly after the ruling, stating that trans women - defined as biological males - should not be permitted to use women-only facilities in public-facing services. While the EHRC is still consulting on the final version of its guidance, its chair has indicated that the core message will remain unchanged. 

The ruling has sparked concern among trans advocacy groups, who argue it undermines the rights and dignity of trans individuals. TransActual, a leading advocacy organisation, has written to the Prime Minister expressing alarm over the implications of the decision for equality law.