British Transport Police amends strip-searching policy after supreme court gender ruling

Trans women arrested on Britain’s railways will in future be strip-searched by male officers in an updated policy after a landmark ruling by the supreme court.

The British Transport Police said same-sex searches in custody would be conducted “in accordance with the biological birth sex of the detainee” under updated guidance for public bodies

Under the force’s previous policy, officers had been told that anyone in custody with a gender recognition certificate would be searched by an officer matching a detainee’s acquired gender.



Judges in the UK’s most senior court ruled unanimously on Wednesday that the legal definition of a woman in the Equality Act 2010 did not include transgender women who hold gender recognition certificates.

A spokesperson for BTP said: “Under previous policy, we had advised that someone with a gender recognition certificate may be searched in accordance with their acquired sex.

“However, as an interim position while we digest yesterday’s judgment, we have advised our officers that any same-sex searches in custody are to be undertaken in accordance with the biological birth sex of the detainee.