Organisation information
Gender Recognition
- Published on: 30 October 2020
- Last updated on: 19 July 2023
Introduction
The Gender Recognition Act 2015 provides that a person can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate in order to have their preferred gender recognised by the State.
Once a Gender Recognition Certificate is issued, the gender of the person named on the certificate becomes for all purposes the preferred gender from that date forward.
Accordingly, if the preferred gender is the male gender the person’s sex becomes that of a man, and if it is the female gender the person’s sex becomes that of a woman.
The effect of the legal recognition is not retrospective. All rights, responsibilities and consequences of actions by you prior to the date of recognition of your preferred gender remain unaffected.