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Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, commented on judicial review brought by Good Law Project

“The High Court has rejected a legal challenge brought by the Good Law Project, relating to the interim update we published soon after the Supreme Court's judgment on the definition of 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010.

“We welcome the court’s conclusion that the interim update was lawful and the EHRC did not act in breach of its statutory duties.

“We issued the interim update in response to a high level of demand immediately after the Supreme Court's ruling. We were concerned that organisations and individuals could be subject to misinformation and misrepresentation of the judgment and its consequences. That might have led to them failing to comply with the law: adopting or maintaining discriminatory policies or practices, to the detriment of those the law is supposed to protect.

“As Britain’s equality regulator, we uphold and enforce the Equality Act. This is the second time the way we have done our duty in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling has been tested in the courts. Both times our actions have been found to be lawful.

“It’s our job to champion everyone’s rights under the Equality Act, including those with the protected characteristics of sex, sexual orientation and gender reassignment. A shared and correct understanding of the law is essential to that endeavour.

“We note that the claimants may seek permission to appeal. We will consider any further legal proceedings carefully, in line with our statutory duties.”