In Ms M Forstater v CGD Europe & Ors [2019] UKET 2200909/2019, Ms Forstater was sacked as a consultant with the Center for Global Development, Washington DC, and its European arm. She contended that the relationship came to an end because she had expressed “gender-critical” opinions: in outline, that sex is immutable, whatever a person’s stated gender identity or gender expression. She further contended that her gender-critical views were a philosophical belief – and therefore protected under the Equality Act 2010 – and that she had suffered direct discrimination as a result or, alternatively, indirect sex discrimination because her views were more likely to be held by women than by men [3].

The principal issue was whether, in fact, she held a protected philosophical belief within the terms of s.10 Equality Act 2010: Continue reading →