The extent of Stonewall’s influence on judicial training in England and Wales could become clearer, following a case brought by Maya Forstater (see photo), the tax specialist who won an appeal against an employment tribunal after she posted gender-critical beliefs online.
There has been mounting concern that Stonewall is exerting far-reaching influence on the training of judges. A number of recent rulings have revealed a growing boldness to issue rulings reflecting a judicial view that people who hold gender-critical beliefs do not deserve protection under equality law.
The Judicial College, which trains judges, produces the Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB), a guidance document that was last revised in February 2021. The ETBB refers to people with gender being ‘assigned at birth’ or ‘birth gender’; to transgender people being ‘authentic man or woman’; and criticises the language of the Equality Act 2010 as ‘out-of-date and stigmatising’.
