Britain has issued new guidance clarifying when transgender people can legally be excluded from single-sex spaces, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling that defined sex in law as biological sex.
The guidance, published Thursday by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and approved by the UK government, states that single-sex spaces such as toilets, hospital wards, refuges, schools, prisons, and sports facilities may restrict access on the basis of biological sex where this is considered “a proportionate means” of protecting privacy, dignity, or safety.
The move follows an April 2025 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in a case brought by campaign group For Women Scotland against the Scottish government. The court ruled that under the Equality Act, “sex” refers to biological sex.
Women and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson said the updated code would give organisations “clear guidance” on how to apply the law while protecting people’s rights.
The new rules will now undergo a 40-day parliamentary scrutiny period before replacing the existing 2011 guidance.
