header-logo header-logo

23 May 2025 / Fiona McAnena , Anya Palmer
Issue: 8117 / Categories: Opinion , Sports law , Equality , Diversity , Human rights
printer mail-detail

Changing rooms?

219538
Fiona McAnena & Anya Palmer on why the inclusion policies of some sports bodies & their member clubs are not based on good law

Sports governing bodies across the UK are waking up to the fact that letting biological men into the women’s category and into their changing rooms is not the ‘inclusive’ measure they thought it was. There is growing evidence that it is the very opposite, a policy that drives women and girls away from sport.

On 1 May, the governing bodies for Scottish and English football dropped their policies allowing trans-identifying male players into women’s teams if they demonstrated lowered testosterone levels. The England and Wales Cricket Board, which governs cricket in England and Wales, abandoned its two-tier policy of female-only in the top two tiers of women’s cricket and self-identification for all the rest. England Netball finally followed its world governing body in recognising that women’s games must not include male players.

Other national governing bodies are defending flawed policies. This is illustrated by the

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Partner joins commercial property team in Taunton office

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Londstanding London firm appoints new senior partner

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Commercial team in London welcomes technology specialist as partner

NEWS
What safeguards apply when trust corporations are appointed as deputy by the Court of Protection? 
Disputing parties are expected to take part in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), where this is suitable for their case. At what point, however, does refusing to participate cross the threshold of ‘unreasonable’ and attract adverse costs consequences?
When it comes to free legal advice, demand massively outweighs supply. 'Millions of people are excluded from access to justice as they don’t have anywhere to turn for free advice—or don’t know that they can ask for help,' Bhavini Bhatt, development director at the Access to Justice Foundation, writes in this week's NLJ
When an ex-couple is deciding who gets what in the divorce or civil partnership dissolution, when is it appropriate for a third party to intervene? David Burrows, NLJ columnist and solicitor advocate, considers this thorny issue in this week’s NLJ
NLJ's latest Charities Appeals Supplement has been published in this week’s issue
back-to-top-scroll