JK Rowling expresses joy as High Court judge upholds ban on puberty blockers for trans children

JK Rowling praised yesterday a High Court ruling upholding a prohibition connected puberty blockers for trans children.

The Harry Potter writer and women's rights campaigner described nan judgement arsenic 'moving backmost to curen for susceptible younker based connected evidence-based medicine'.

Her comments came hours aft a High Court judge ruled an emergency prohibition connected nan medicine of puberty blockers was lawful.

Mrs Justice Lang dismissed a judicial reappraisal brought by trans activists who challenged an bid banning puberty blockers nether rarely-used measures.

The bid was imposed successful May by past Tory wellness caput Victoria Atkins. Campaign group TransActual had claimed Ms Atkins acted unlawfully by failing to decently consult nan public.

Mrs Justice Lang ruled nan wellness caput had 'reasonably considered that it was basal to make nan bid arsenic soon arsenic imaginable to protect children and young group from irresponsible prescribing of puberty blockers'.

A consultation would person lasted 5 to six months and could person seen attempts to frustrate nan strategy by opening puberty blocker curen earlier nan prohibition came into force, nan judge said.

Ms Rowling wrote connected X: 'High tribunal rules nan UK prohibition connected puberty blockers is lawful. We seem, astatine last, to beryllium moving backmost to curen for susceptible younker based connected evidence-based medicine, arsenic opposed to nan unevidenced claims of ideological lobby groups.'

Yesterday's ruling was besides applauded by existent Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who reaffirmed nan conclusions group retired successful nan landmark Cass Review.

Mr Streeting said: 'Children's healthcare must beryllium evidence-led. Dr Cass's reappraisal recovered location was insufficient grounds that puberty blockers are safe and effective for children pinch gender dysphoria and gender incongruence.

'We must truthful enactment cautiously and pinch attraction erstwhile it comes to this susceptible group of young people.'

Sir Keir Starmer besides said 'evidence-led' attraction must beryllium nan ground for children's medicine. The PM's spokesperson said: 'We are evidently pleased that nan tribunal has upheld nan ban.'

It comes aft nan Cass Review into gender personality services concluded successful April that children had been group connected nan way to irreversible alteration connected scant aesculapian evidence. Dr Hilary Cass, who led nan review, said gender medicine had been 'built connected shaky foundations'.

NHS clinics were banned from prescribing puberty blockers to children a period earlier nan review's publication. But nan prohibition did not widen to backstage clinics, pinch Dr Cass's reappraisal emphasising nan loophole successful nan law.

The emergency prohibition past sought to adjacent nan loophole that could beryllium exploited by backstage clinics and European prescribers.

Women's authorities groups hailed yesterday's decision. Maya Forstater of Sex Matters, said: 'By keeping his predecessor's ban, Wes Streeting showed that nan caller authorities is wished to return an evidence-based attack to protecting nan wellbeing of gender-distressed children.'

Chay Brown of TransActual said nan group was disappointed, adding: 'The judgement leans heavy connected nan discredited Cass review.'