The law is clear – here’s what it says

The government has said today that it intends to finally lay the updated Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) code of practice for parliamentary approval after the local elections.

While the finalisation of the long-awaited guidance will be welcome, the law is already clear.

The EHRC published a simple update shortly after the Supreme Court ruled in For Women Scotland v the Scottish Ministers. The legal accuracy of the update was confirmed by the High Court on13th February 2026.

Sex Matters commissioned a specialist firm, which is used by government departments, local authorities and charities, to create an easy-read version of the EHRC update. Easy reads are often provided for important public documents, to make sure that everyone can participate in the democratic process, and can understand their rights and how to access services.

Read the Easy Read guidance.

Why does this matter?

The Equality Act protects everyone from unlawful discrimination and harassment. You shouldn’t have to be a lawyer or read guidance that is hundreds of pages long to make sense of it. We should all be able to know and understand our rights.

The act provides exceptions where sex discrimination is lawful in order to provide single-sex services, including everyday facilities where dignity and privacy matter, associations for a protected characteristic such as a gay club or a religious school, and positive action for an under-represented group such as women in politics.