We’ve filed our challenge to Victoria Atkins’s dangerous regulations

On 4 June, working with Trans Actual, we took the first formal step in legal proceedings against the health secretary, Victoria Atkins.

Just before parliament was dissolved, she introduced an immediate ban on trans young people obtaining in the UK puberty blockers prescribed by regulated prescribers in France, Germany, Switzerland and throughout Europe.

In fact, it will become a criminal offence to supply in the United Kingdom puberty blockers to those caught by the ban, punishable by up to two years in prison.

Late on Monday 10 June we received a formal response from Victoria Atkins’s lawyers. It attached some sensitive ministerial briefing documents. Early the next morning they sent us a further email demanding we delete the formal response. No legal basis was given for the demand so we refused. 

Late on 13 June we received a replacement response and today we have issued our claim. 

We would like to publish Victoria Atkins’s response – we think it needs to be in the public domain – but court rules prohibit this for the time being. And since our issued claim contains reference to those documents, we have decided not to publish it either.

However, we expect to be able to place this material in the public domain in due course and we have asked the court to list the matter for an urgent hearing as soon as possible after 3rd July.

We course keep you updated on this vital piece of litigation.

Please support the case if you can.