Trans group calls for probe into equality watchdog's conduct over gender ruling

A leading trans campaign group has requested an investigation into the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), claiming its conduct in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on gender has been unlawful, The Independent can reveal.

- MILLIE COOKE POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

The Supreme Court ruled that trans women are not legally women under the Equality Act.

TransLucent said they have submitted a formal complaint to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) - the worldwide membership-based network of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) – claiming that the UK’s equalities watchdog is failing to adhere to the Paris Principles.

The Paris Principles set out the minimum standards that NHRIs must meet in order to be considered credible and to operate effectively. The key pillars of the Paris Principles are pluralism, independence and effectiveness.

TransLucent alleges that public statements made by EHRC commissioners, including chair Kishwer Falkner, demonstrate the body has already formed a “settled view” on the implications of last month’s Supreme Court ruling, pre-empting the end of the consultation on the ruling.

Baroness Falkner previously said the ruling was “a victory for common sense”, adding: “But only if you recognise that trans people exist.” She has also said: “If a male is allowed to use a women-only service, it isn’t any longer a single-sex space.”

But TransLucent said positions such as this render the consultation “unfair and unlawful”, arguing that public authority consultations “require an open mind at a formative stage”. They have also argued this breaches the principles of independence and pluralism by “undermining the ability of key stakeholders like TransLucent to provide meaningful views”.