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| High Court refuses bid for gender-neutral passports | High Court refuses bid for gender-neutral passports |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A campaigner has lost a High Court challenge calling on the government to provide gender-neutral passports. | A campaigner has lost a High Court challenge calling on the government to provide gender-neutral passports. |
| Christie Elan-Cane wants passports to have an "X" category, which could be used by those who consider themselves neither fully male nor female. | Christie Elan-Cane wants passports to have an "X" category, which could be used by those who consider themselves neither fully male nor female. |
| The campaigner claimed the UK's passport process was "inherently discriminatory". | The campaigner claimed the UK's passport process was "inherently discriminatory". |
| High Court judge Mr Justice Jeremy Baker refused the application to rule the government policy as unlawful. | High Court judge Mr Justice Jeremy Baker refused the application to rule the government policy as unlawful. |
| Currently, all UK passport holders have to specify whether they are male or female. | Currently, all UK passport holders have to specify whether they are male or female. |
| Last year, Canada became the latest country to offer citizens gender-neutral travel documents. | Last year, Canada became the latest country to offer citizens gender-neutral travel documents. |
| Australia, Denmark, Germany, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, India and Nepal already have a third category. | Australia, Denmark, Germany, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, India and Nepal already have a third category. |
| The International Civil Aviation Organisation - the UN agency in charge of air travel - recognises the "X" option. | The International Civil Aviation Organisation - the UN agency in charge of air travel - recognises the "X" option. |
| Christie Elan-Cane, who has fought on the issue since 1995, says it is a "basic human right to have your identity" and that the UK government "are saying non-gendered people are not human, or just not as important as everyone else". | |
| They previously told the Women and Equalities Committee that being non-gendered was "not a lifestyle choice" and "incredibly frustrating". | |
| In the High Court hearing in April, Christie Elan-Cane's lawyer, Kate Gallafent, claimed the policy breaches two articles of the European Convention on Human Rights: the right to respect for private life and the right not to be discriminated against on the basis of gender or sex. | |
| The Home Office made submissions to the court that the case should be dismissed. | |
| James Eadie, acting for the Home Secretary, said the policy maintains an "administratively coherent system for the recognition of gender" and ensures security at national borders. | |
| MP Maria Miller, the chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, has previously said a person's gender was "not relevant" on passports and driving licences. | |
| She said gender details on passports do not assist with identification. | She said gender details on passports do not assist with identification. |
| The ruling comes as the UK government is currently considering the responses to a public consultation on the Gender Recognition Act 2004. | |
| It launched the consultation to consider plans to make the process of changing legal gender easier. Currently, people must be diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a condition where a person's biological sex and identity do not match, to be granted a Gender Recognition Certificate. |