Gender treatment and the Courts
The Court of Appeal has ruled that decisions on cross sex hormone treatment and gender changes can be reviewed by a judge. A 16-year-old wanted to make a decision about the future and the parents disagreed. The father was supportive and the mother (they were divorced) opposed.
The issue arose whether a judge could get involved and the answer was a resounding Yes from the most senior civil law judge in the country, Sir Geoffrey Vos, the Master of the Rolls. The legal proceedings pitted the mother against the father, who supported the child’s attempts to have treatment for gender dysphoria.
The Appeal hearing happened after the government announced an indefinite ban on the use of puberty blockers, but cross sex hormone treatment was surprisingly not covered.
So, parents cannot be excluded from this decision and, if they cannot agree, a judge will decide for them.
A definite good decision in protecting children.
14 January 2025
Rodney Hylton-Potts