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Bills and Laws

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill

The Bill changes the process to get a gender recognition certificate (GRC). A GRC is a certificate that legally recognises that a person’s gender is not the gender that they were assigned at birth, but is their “acquired gender”.

The current process for obtaining a GRC is set out in the Gender Recognition Act 2004. This Bill amends that Act to make a new process in Scotland.

The Bill sets out:

  • who can apply for a GRC
  • how to make an application
  • the grounds on which an application is to be granted

It also makes provision about:

  • different types of GRC that may be issued in different circumstances (“full” GRCs and “interim” GRCs)
  • appeals and reviews of decisions to grant (or not grant) GRCs
  • revocation of a GRC and offences in connection with false information being provided in an application

The Bill ended Stage 3 on 22 December 2022

Contents

Introduced

The Scottish Government introduces the Bill and accompanying documents to the Parliament which publishes the Bill.

The Bill was introduced on 02 March 2022

Bill as introduced

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill (1MB, pdf) posted 02 March 2022

Ministerial Statement

The Introduction of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill

Related information from the Scottish Government on the bill

Explanatory Notes

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill explanatory notes (219KB, pdf) posted 02 March 2022

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill explanatory notes (print version) (338KB, pdf) posted 02 March 2022

Explanation of the Bill

Policy Memorandum

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill policy memorandum (290KB, pdf) posted 02 March 2022

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill policy memorandum (print version) (324KB, pdf) posted 02 March 2022

Why the Bill is being introduced

Financial Memorandum

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill financial memorandum (149KB, pdf) posted 02 March 2022

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill financial memorandum (print version) (196KB, pdf) posted 02 March 2022

How much the Bill is likely to cost

Delegated Powers Memorandum

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill delegated powers memorandum (140KB, pdf) posted 02 March 2022

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill delegated powers memorandum (print version) (240KB, pdf) posted 02 March 2022

Information on the powers the Bill gives the Scottish Ministers and others to make “secondary legislation” (usually regulations) and to the Scottish Ministers (such as to make guidance).

Statements on Legislative Competence

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill legislative competence (108KB, pdf) posted 02 March 2022

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill legislative competence (print version) (143KB, pdf) posted 02 March 2022

Statements on whether the Bill is within the Parliament’s “legislative competence” (if the Parliament has the power to make the changes to the law proposed by the Bill).

Scottish Parliament research on the Bill

Read the research done by the Scottish Parliament on specific parts of the Bill:

Briefing on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill

Previous
Overview

Next
Stage 1 - General principles