logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2025
24m 41s

UK court defines 'woman'; trans women le...

Al Jazeera
About this episode

The United Kingdom’s Supreme Court has ruled that a woman is defined by “biological sex” under equality law. The decision could limit transgender women’s access to essential services and set a lasting legal precedent. As hate crimes rise, what will this mean for the daily lives and rights of transgender women in the UK?

In this episode:

  • Jess O’Thomson, Journalist and legal researcher

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li, Sonia Bhagat, and Amy Walters with Sarí el-Khalili, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Khaled Soltan, Kisaa Zehra, Remas Alhawari, Mariana Navarrete, Kingwell Ma, and our guest host, Natasha Del Toro. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. 

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, FacebookThreads and YouTube

Up next
Yesterday
What does life look like for Gaza, two years into a genocide?
Gaza has faced relentless bombs and hunger for two years. Families struggle to live, children grow up in fear and hope feels distant. We speak to Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum to hear what life is really like in Gaza. How do people keep going when the world watches bu ... Show More
21m 30s
Yesterday
The objects Gaza’s women refused to leave behind
The smallest belongings can become the most powerful relics. As Palestinians are forced to flee again and again within the Gaza Strip and beyond, people carry personal items that hold deep meaning. In this episode, we explore the stories behind those objects in the midst of a war ... Show More
21m 36s
Oct 6
With Gaza in ruins, will US media name the crime?
Despite a UN inquiry and multiple human rights organizations finding that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, Western news outlets are still reluctant to use the term. After nearly two years of bombardment and at least 65,000 Palestinians dead, will they change their tune on I ... Show More
24m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
What is a ‘woman’ in law? The Supreme Court ruling
The UK Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling this week about the legal definition of a woman in equality legislation. Judges ruled that a woman is someone who is born biologically female. Host Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Anna Gross and Robert Shrimsley to discuss the polit ... Show More
36m 11s
Apr 2025
The Supreme Court Decision on Sex and Gender
Today, the UK Supreme Court has ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. It marks the culmination of a long-running legal battle which could have major implications for how sex-based rights apply across Scotland, England and Wales.Adam is joined by J ... Show More
27m 23s
Apr 2025
The Supreme Court’s Ruling on Sex and Gender: What’s the Impact on the NHS?
Today, we look at what yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling means for the NHS.The NHS will be pursued if it doesn’t follow new guidance on single-sex spaces the chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission has said. Currently the NHS guidance says trans people should be acc ... Show More
26m 56s
May 2025
What Iraq’s legal changes mean for women and girls
Iraq’s amendments to its personal status law have been controversial. Critics say the changes could roll back women’s rights, with serious implications for marriage, divorce, and child custody. So why has this shift happened and what does it really mean for girls and women across ... Show More
23m 30s
Aug 29
Missing in the Amazon: the fightback – episode five
Revisited: Funerals are held for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira and there is hope that the election of President Lula will mean new protections for the Amazon – and that the killers of Dom and Bruno will face justice. But organised crime is widespread and deep-rooted. The investi ... Show More
38m 24s
Aug 18
The Dubious Legality of Trump's DC Takeover
Kate and Leah recap the week's legal news, including argument calendars for the next SCOTUS term and President Trump's attempted federal takeover of Washington, DC. Then, it's our third annual State of The Uterus episode. Melissa and Leah talk with Alexis McGill Johnson, presiden ... Show More
1h 51m
Aug 21
36 July: Uprising in Bangladesh | Ep. 3 - Point of No Return
Abu Sayed’s death super charges the uprising and Sheikh Hasina is determined to put a stop to it. In this episode, we’ll hear Hasina, on exclusively obtained recordings, authorizing deadly force. As the situation worsens she makes two fateful decisions. She calls the Army in and ... Show More
43m 11s
Jun 2025
Are We Headed For Another Endless Middle Eastern War?
The Times Opinion columnist Nick Kristof weighs in on the uncertainties following the United States’ surprise bombing of Iran and Tehran’s retaliation. “President Trump thinks that this is going to be successful and worth it, but the enemy gets a vote as well,” Kristof cautions.T ... Show More
13m 24s
Sep 23
US deportees to sue Ghana's government
A group of deportees from the US have sued the Ghanaian government, alleging they've been detained illegally. We talk to the lawyer representing these deportees and ask what legal framework underpins this US-Ghana deportation deal? And how does this situation tests the principles ... Show More
35m 56s
Aug 2023
Chris Dietz, "Self-Declaration in the Legal Recognition of Gender" (Routledge, 2022)
Self-Declaration in the Legal Recognition of Gender (Routledge, 2023) is a socio-legal study that offers a critique of what it means to self-declare with regard to legal gender. Based on empirical research conducted in Denmark, the book engages in some of the most controversial i ... Show More
1h 13m