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13 June 2025
Issue: 8120 / Categories: Legal News , Human rights , Equality , Constitutional law
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NLJ this week: Sex, gender & parliamentary sovereignty

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Trans rights in the aftermath of the recent Supreme Court judgment is a complex and sensitive area. In this week’s NLJ, Dr Graham Zellick KC, emeritus professor of law and former vice-chancellor of the University of London, reflects on the Supreme Court’s decision in For Women Scotland, the wider societal context behind the decision and the limited powers of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, under which gender recognition certificates are issued

Zellick critiques parts of the Supreme Court’s decision, asking why the court did not take account of a 2004 House of Lords precedent, as well as highlighting For Women Scotland’s impact on the Gender Recognition Act. He writes that the Act ‘has been left with little or no significance.

‘This provokes the question of whether the law remains ECHR-compliant. Amnesty International was allowed to intervene in For Women Scotland and made written submissions on the international human rights aspects of the case, but, inexplicably, they were entirely ignored.’ 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Withers—Sophie Barrett-Brown

Withers—Sophie Barrett-Brown

Withers drives further growth in its UK immigration team with new partner Sophie Barrett-Brown

Venus Legal—Esther Amoako

Venus Legal—Esther Amoako

Venus Legal invests in next generation of legal talent as specialist litigation practice grows

Fisher Phillips—Catrina Smith

Fisher Phillips—Catrina Smith

Fisher Phillips continues momentum in London with arrival of Catrina Smith

NEWS
Restrictions on workplace non-disclosure agreements could make settlements slower, more complex and more expensive when reforms expected in 2027 take effect
Private prosecutors face closer scrutiny under Crown Prosecution Service guidance designed to strengthen accountability and consistency when intervention is requested
Foreign states cannot necessarily claim immunity for cyber operations launched abroad against computers in Britain, following a divided Supreme Court ruling
Defendants who make unsupported complaints about their lawyers risk losing legal aid while confiscation proceedings continue without representation
Lawyers advising Russian clients face different sanctions restrictions across the UK, EU and US, despite their shared objective of increasing pressure on Russia
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