JK Rowling has celebrated a UK Supreme Court ruling that legally defines "woman" as "biological female" under the Equality Act 2010. The decision followed a legal challenge by For Women Scotland and was praised by Rowling as a major victory for women's rights and clarity in gender-based legislation.
Author JK Rowling has publicly praised a UK Supreme Court decision that reaffirms the legal definition of "woman" as someone of biological female sex, marking a significant moment in the ongoing national discourse around gender identity and legal rights.
The ruling, delivered by a five-judge panel, sided with advocacy group For Women Scotland, which had challenged the Scottish Government’s broader interpretation of the term under the Equality Act. The court concluded that “sex” in the Act is to be understood as binary—male or female—grounded in biological reality, not gender identity.
Rowling, a prominent voice in the gender-critical movement, responded on X (formerly Twitter), commending the three women who led the legal fight. “They’ve protected the rights of women and girls across the UK,” she wrote.
This legal outcome comes after years of heated public debate in the UK over whether trans women should be included in the legal category of “woman.” The Supreme Court emphasized that while biological sex forms the legal basis for such definitions, existing protections for transgender individuals under the Equality Act remain intact.
Trina Budge, director of For Women Scotland, described the ruling as “a decisive win” for women’s rights. The judgment, she noted, reinforces legal clarity without undermining protections for trans people.
Rowling’s vocal stance has sparked both backlash and support, placing her at the center of one of the most contentious cultural conversations in the UK today.
