CEDAW, Garden Court Chambers & the definition of 'Woman'

The fix is in.

The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979. Although the UK signed up to CEDAW in 1986, it has not yet been implemented into UK domestic law.

The CEDAW People's Tribunal (CPT) was set up last July to examine the failure to integrate CEDAW into UK legislation and make recommendations as to how CEDAW can be given full effect in the UK. “Advancing women in all aspects of society and recognising historic inequalities.”

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Just one problem; The CPT’s definition of ‘women’ appears to include men.

They won’t answer direct questions about whether or not their definition of ‘woman’ includes trans-identified males.

Stoat 🟥 Ermine 🟥 #IStandWithMaya @StoatlyL

@LordLucasCD @gardencourtlaw @sonalinaikqc @windmill_tilter @NicolaBraganza @Louise1Hooper @Maria_Moodie @CedawPT @CedawPT has failed to answer women asking the basic question - do they use the CEDAW definition or do they include men who say they are women in their work.

Stoat 🟥 Ermine 🟥 #IStandWithMaya @StoatlyL

@CedawPT We are still waiting for your response. Last year I emailed you & your chair. Do you exclude men, however they present or whatever words they use to describe themselves from the rights enshrined for women in CEDAW? https://t.co/rB1UQhVhiT

In fact, their silence is deafening.

Obsolesence @Obsolesence

@SVPhillimore Interesting isn't it? We've been trying to get clarification from the @CedawPT on their definition of woman since they posted this. We've never had a response.

But it seems pretty obvious they think the definition of ‘women’ includes ‘all genders’.

CEDAW People’s Tribunal is made up of various personnel including QCs, barristers, legal assistants, a legal consultant, a steering committee, an independent panel of judges and an advocacy group.

Six barristers from Garden Court Chambers have just been appointed as the CPT legal counsel team.

Garden Court Chambers @gardencourtlaw

We are THRILLED to announce that @sonalinaikqc, Amanda Weston QC (@windmill_tilter), @NicolaBraganza, Grace Brown, @Louise1Hooper & @Maria_Moodie, all of Garden Court Chambers, have been appointed as Legal Counsel to @CedawPT. #CEDAW #GenerationEquality bit.ly/3hoaQz5

Garden Court Chambers is one of the respondents in the legal action brought by barrister, Allison Bailey.

Allison Bailey @BluskyeAllison

Stonewall and Garden Court failed in their attempt to stop my lawsuit & I emerge from this battle stronger than ever. I’m delighted that Stonewall and its Diversity Champions scheme in particular will now be held to account. Much love xx.

allisonbailey.co.ukUpdate #4 — Allison BaileyWe prevailed. The hearing went very well indeed. Stonewall and Garden Court Chambers argued that my case against them had no reasonable prospects of success and should be struck out. They failed. They argued that I should pay a deposit order on the same grounds. They failed. They argued that I sho…

Allison Bailey is a criminal defence barrister, feminist, lesbian and lifelong campaigner for racial equality and lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights. Together with other LGB campaigners, she co-founded the LGB Alliance in order to uphold the rights of those same-sex attracted and to challenge Stonewall's all-pervading influence in public life.

Stonewall retaliated by trying to intimidate her into silence and put pressure on her chambers to take action against her. Garden Court Chambers subsequently began an investigation into her conduct. Bailey’s lawyers maintain that the ‘unlawful discrimination and victimisation’ by Garden Court Chambers was ‘instructed, caused and induced by Stonewall’.

Garden Court Chambers is one of Stonewall’s ‘diversity champions’. It is also the chambers of trans-activist, Alex Sharpe, who once defended the housing of sexually violent trans-identified males in female prisons.

“The all Garden Court Chambers Counsel Team will be required to lead on the preparation and presentation of the legal arguments and examine over 20 witnesses, across the 3-day Tribunal Hearing.  This will include exploration of the failure to integrate CEDAW into domestic legislation and the advantages to all women and girls of a Women's Bill of Rights.”

An organisation that promotes an ‘all genders’ feminism and a chambers accused of discriminating against a lesbian barrister because she believes in the material reality of biological sex are responsible for drawing up proposals that could become UK law.

A bill of rights for ‘women’, that includes its definition of ‘women’ a subsection of men, is not really a bill of rights for women.