The UK Government plans to veto a gender recognition law passed by the Scottish Parliament, setting up a major clash between London and Edinburgh.
According to Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, the UK Government will move to block a gender recognition law passed by the Scottish Parliament due to concerns about the impact on UK-wide equalities legislation.
To prevent the law from receiving Royal Assent, the UK Government will issue a Section 35 order under devolution legislation. The order, which prevents a Scottish Bill from becoming law, will be used for the first time by UK ministers.
It means that the Scottish Government’s Gender Recognition Reform Act will not be passed. The purpose of the Act was to make it easier for people to change their legally recognised sex.
The legislation aims to make obtaining a Gender Recognition certificate easier, and for the first time allows transgender people to obtain such a document without a medical diagnosis.
It would also shorten the amount of time they have to live in their acquired gender before applying for a certificate and lower the age at which they can apply to 16.
However, London claims that it will have a negative impact on the rest of British law, particularly the Equalities Act 2010 and how it manages single sex spaces for women.
Ms Sturgeon called Westminster’s decision to stall the Bill a “full-frontal assault” on the Scottish Parliament.
“This is a full-frontal attack on our democratically-elected Scottish Parliament and its ability to make its own decisions on devolved matters,” the First Minister said in a tweet in response to Mr Jack’s Section 35 announcement.
“The Scottish Government will defend the legislation and stand up for Scotland’s Parliament. If this Westminster veto succeeds, it will be first of many.”