By Natalie Hartley
The UK government has made the decision to block Scotland’s gender law reform. This becomes the first time a Section 35 order has been used, that is the order that allows Westminster to stop something the Scottish Parliament has voted to become law. The reform would have make it simpler for residents in Scotland to gain a Gender Recognition Certificate. This would allow them to legally change their sex on their birth certificate.
In response to this, Scotland’s First Minister has called it a ‘direct attack’ on devolution. In Scotland, an average of 25-30 people per year are given GCRs. It is predicted by the Scottish ministers that this number could multiply by ten. The Section 35 order means that those wishing to change their legal sex will have to follow the protocols that have been around for the past 18 years. This makes the number of people given GCRs less likely to increase because it takes over 22 weeks to have your application processed.