UK Supreme Court give legal definition of woman

Women smiling for the camera

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

    • Author, Angus Cochrane
    • Role, BBC News
  • Read am in 4 mins

UK Supreme Court judge Lord Hodge don announce say di Equality Act definition of woman na base on biological sex.

Judges say di "concept of sex dey binary" and dem caution say make pipo no see di landmark ruling as victory of one side ova anoda.

Transgender pipo still get legal protection from discrimination, di court tok.

Di ruling dey come afta long-running legal battle between di Scottish goment and one women group wey dem dey call For Women Scotland.

Di Scottish goment argue say transgender pipo wit gender recognition certificate (GRC) dey entitled to sex-based protections, while For Women Scotland argue say e only apply to pipo wey dem born as female.

Two pipo hold signs above dia heads at protest, photographed from low angle. Di signs say "trans rights na human rights". Di pesin on di left dey wear dark jacket and light grey hat. Di pesin on di right get red hair and glasses, and e dey wear blue jacket and grey pattern scarf. Pipo and UK goment office buildings fit dey seen in di background.

Wia dis foto come from, PA Media

Wetin we call dis foto, Di legal argument dey come at di time of debate on gender issues

Di Supreme Court bin decide on di proper interpretation of di 2010 Equality Act, wey dey applied across Britain.

Di law provide protection against discrimination on di basis of various characteristics, including "sex" and "gender reassignment".

Women line up behind one black banner wey dem hold in front of dem. Some dey also hold signs above dia heads, including two wey read as "adult human female".

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Wetin we call dis foto, Na one women group start di case against di Scottish goment

Scottish trans charity urge pipo make dem no panic

Edinburgh-based trans rights charity Scottish Trans don urge pipo say make dem no panic sake of di ruling.

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"Lots of commentary go come out quickly wey dey likely to deliberately overstate di impact wey dis decision go get on trans pipo lives," di charity write on social media platform Bluesky.

"We go say more as soon as we dey able to. Please look out for yoursefs and each oda today," di statement add.

How we take get here?

Di legal dispute begin for 2018, wen di Scottish Parliament pass one bill wey dey designed to ensure gender balance on public sector boards.

For Women Scotland complain say ministers don include transgender pipo as part of di quotas in dat law.

Afta several cases for di Scottish courts, dem bin send di issue to di Supreme Court for London for final ruling.

For Women Scotland bin warn say if di court side wit di goment, e go get implications for di running of single-sex spaces and services, such as hospital wards, prisons, refuges and support groups.

Entrance to di Supreme Court for London, one white brick building wey dem cover in ornate carvings, including big blue sign reading "di Supreme Court"

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Wetin we call dis foto, Di issue don dey di highest UK court for ruling

Transgender pipo bin also warn say di case fit erode di protections wey dem get against discrimination for dia reassigned gender.

Amnesty International bin tok say since di Equality Act protect oda minority groups, di case fit be di "thin end of di wedge" wey fit undermine oda rights.

Di Equality and Human Rights Commission - di regulator in charge of enforcing di 2010 act - bin call for legal reform as a result of di case.

Di Scottish Parliament bin pass reforms for 2022 wey go make am easier for pesin to change dia legally recognised sex.

Di move dey blocked by di UK goment, and Holyrood ministers don drop am since.