Transgender inmates moved out of Scots prisons today after judicial review

Scottish sun ^ | 23rd June 2026 | Mark McLaughlin

[Cronos]

The Scottish Government revealed all prisoners would be segregated by biological sex with immediate effect today, regardless of which gender they identify with.

It comes four days after a judicial review ruled that the Scottish Prison Service’s policy of segregated prisoners by gender-identity rather than sex was illegal.

And three days after SPS chief executive Linda Pollock wrote a memo to staff insisting “the admissions practice remains in place” while bosses “carefully consider” the ruling.

The SNP government then used a planted backbench written question in parliament, in the name of former SNP minister George Adam, to put their capitulation on the record without the need for a ministerial statement.

Justice Secretary Neil Gray responded: “Following careful consideration of Lady Ross’s judgment, we accept the ruling and have decided not to appeal.”

He added: “The Scottish Government frequently has to make difficult decisions which balance the different interests and rights of individuals, often in complex situations, and this was one such situation.”

Scottish Conservative equalities spokeswoman Meghan Gallacher said: “It’s hard not to be cynical about the SNP confirming this move on the day Murrell was sentenced.

“They could have done this straight away following Friday’s ruling but clearly wanted to avoid drawing maximum attention to their latest humiliating court defeat.”

Opponents accused the Scottish Government of wasting public cash by trying to defend the SPS guidance in court.

The judicial review simply confirmed the landmark Supreme Court ruling in May last year that single-sex facilities must be segregated by biological sex.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who has offered to bankroll legal action against any public body that flouts the segregation law, said: “The Scottish government has finally been dragged, kicking and screaming, into compliance with the law.”

[Cronos]

JK Rowling has been actively pushing for this separation for years. A victory!

[Nervous Tick]

>> JK Rowling has been actively pushing for this separation for years. A victory!

YES and AMEN.

[mass55th]

I'm an old woman now. In 1980, I began working as a Correctional Officer in NY State's prison system. My first facility was Auburn Prison, all-male maximum security in Auburn, NY. There was a male hispanic inmate there at the time who had received hormone treatments and had breasts. Imagine actor Danny Trejo with breasts. That was Angel Perez. He was housed as a male with other male prisoners. In the 3+ years I worked there, nobody said Boo about it, and no problems occurred because of it. He dressed in prison issued clothing just like all the other male prisoners, except he had breasts, and was never allowed to have a bra during the years I was there.

Now Perez sure as hell wasn't the first male inmate in a State prison that had breasts, or considered themselves trans, and the system treated them according to their biological sex. It's only recently that this has become a problem, and it's the people who run the prisons that created it.

[House Atreides]

Hmmm… sanity returns…at least a bit.

[Celtic Conservative]

100% right.

CC

[Ex-Con777]

How can they tell, when men wear skirts, too?

EC

[trebb]

Looks like Scottish machete man wasn’t the only one getting fed up....

[montag813]

Thank you to the proud Scottish lass Joanna Rowling!

[Buffalo Bob]

[mass55th]

👍

[Joe Boucher]

First bit of euro sanity in years