News of a troubling case reaches Steerpike. Earlier this month the Administrative Court handed down judgment in the case of R (AI) -v- London Borough of Wandsworth and Secretary of State for Education [2023] EWHC 2088 (Admin). It’s a complex ruling on a complex case, not likely to catch the attention of the public. But that judgment does contain details that raise some striking questions about medical treatment as it relates to issues of sex and gender.
This relates to the claimant in the case, a 22-year-old with a heart-rending personal history and a string of serious problems. The claimant, named only as AI, was born female and now identifies as a transgender man. The judgment uses male pronouns for AI.
Here’s the court on AI’s background:
The circumstances of his early life are significantly distressing and can only provoke profound sympathy. Although he cannot yet read or write he has been able to make a statement through his solicitor.
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