The Scottish Government has paid £540,000 to women's rights group For Women Scotland following a landmark Supreme Court defeat. Total costs for defending the failed legal challenge now stand at £766,498.80 across two judicial reviews.
The UK Supreme Court ruled in April that the term "woman" in the Equality Act refers to biological sex. For Women Scotland brought the case after challenging the Scottish Government's position on gender identity.
The settlement marks the conclusion of an established legal costs process. For Women Scotland received £392,500 for the Supreme Court case and £147,500 for an earlier Court of Session case in Edinburgh. The Scottish Government's own legal costs reached £157,816.30 for the Supreme Court proceedings and £68,682.50 for the Court of Session case.
Funds for further legal action
For Women Scotland confirmed a «full and final settlement has been reached with the Scottish ministers regarding recovery of costs incurred in pursuing the judicial review all the way to the UK Supreme Court». The organization stated the funds will be «used to cover the costs of our current judicial review on prison guidance, plus any future legal action necessary to ensure the Scottish Government complies with the law».
The group is currently challenging guidance on housing transgender women offenders in female prisons through a separate judicial review.
Conservative criticism
Tess White, Scottish Conservative equalities spokesperson, criticized the government's handling of the case. She said it had «taken far too long to pay what is owed». White added: «They should never have squandered taxpayers' cash in the first place on defending the indefensible. Worse still, the Nationalists have not learned their lesson and are wasting even more public cash on a legal fight to allow male-bodied prisoners to be housed in women's jails.»
She challenged First Minister John Swinney directly: «John Swinney's refusal to accept the Supreme Court's ruling is putting women at risk. He needs to grow a backbone and stop dancing to the tune of gender extremists.»
A Scottish Government spokesperson responded: «The Scottish Government has made clear it accepts the Supreme Court ruling and is taking forward the detailed work necessary. There is an established process whereby parties seek to establish the final costs payable for a legal case. This has now concluded and payment has been settled.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
