Britain | Gender medicine

An influential ruling about puberty blockers has been overturned

Judges rule that doctors, not courts, should decide on treatment

DECISIONS ABOUT medical treatments are usually made in doctors’ offices, not the Victorian splendour of the High Court in London. But in 2020, three judges ruled that children under 16 would be unlikely to be able to consent to one particular medical treatment—the administration of puberty-blocking drugs to those suffering from gender dysphoria, a deep discomfort with one’s sex.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Kicking it back downstairs”

The mess Merkel leaves behind

From the September 25th 2021 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Britain

Blue lights flashing on an ambulance

Many Britons are waiting 12 hours at A&E

The crisis in emergency care has deep roots

Members of the public look at a floral tribute in Southport in memory of three children killed at a dance studio in the city in July 2024

Is British justice too secretive?

Controversy rages over what happened both before and after a horrendous mass stabbing



The rise of the Net-Zero Dad

Middle-aged men care less about the problem. But they love the solution 

Backing Heathrow expansion suggests Labour is serious about boosting growth

It is the surest sign yet that the government is up for the fight