Hey everybody,

We have received news that the Supreme Court has denied permission for us to appeal the Court of Appeal decision. We have simply been informed that there is no arguable point of law to be resolved by the Court. 

This is of course disappointing news that the Supreme Court seemingly feels similarly to the Court of Appeal in that the protection of these children is not their responsibility. Yet the horrifying facts that the High Court found are still deeply disturbing - such as children as young as 12 are being put on this harmful pathway via ‘puberty blockers’ and that 98% of children who are given puberty blockers proceed further down the line with cross-sex hormones.

Despite the shock that this has not been taken further in the courts, I am overjoyed at the positive changes that have happened and are currently underway since the ground-breaking High Court findings…

• The NHS corrected its guidance, reflecting the true unknown nature of puberty blockers
• The pioneers of the ‘Dutch Protocol’ (affirmative approach) cautioned healthcare providers on ‘blindly adopting’ their research
• Sweden & Finland has ceased using the ‘Dutch Protocol’ as its main approach
• Prominent ‘trans care’ providers & WPATH members (including the doctor who operated on Jazz Jennings) have admitted that how children are being treated in this area is concerning and have hinted that the WPATH guidelines are dogmatic
• NICE reported on the very limited evidence base for puberty blocking treatment 
• The NHS announced an independent review of ‘Gender Identity Services’ by Dr Hilary Cass. The interim report states that these services are “not a safe or viable long-term option” for children and young people.
• The UK health secretary is preparing to launch an inquiry into this type of treatment amidst concerns that the system is "failing children"

and inevitably more and more people negatively affected by this affirmation approach, like me, are speaking out. I feel optimistic that the general public is waking up to this horror and that the (often deliberate) misinformation (and politicisation) that has overpowered this topic for so long is now losing its grip. I hope that dialogue on this issue only opens up further and that the myriad of factors contributing to why children are attending these clinics in the first place are given more attention by everyone and society as a whole. 

The Court of Appeal’s judgement also warns clinicians about the risks of providing this controversial treatment without properly obtaining informed consent. It stated: 

“We should not finish this judgment without recognising the difficulties and 

complexities associated with the question of whether children are competent to 

consent to the prescription of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. They raise 

all the deep issues identified in Gillick, and more. Clinicians will inevitably take great 

care before recommending treatment to a child and be astute to ensure that the 

consent obtained from both child and parents is properly informed by the advantages 

and disadvantages of the proposed course of treatment and in the light of evolving 

research and understanding of the implications and long-term consequences of such 

treatment. Great care is needed to ensure that the necessary consents are properly 

obtained. As Gillick itself made clear, clinicians will be alive to the possibility of 

regulatory or civil action where, in individual cases, the issue can be tested.” 

Everyone, I sincerely thank you SO MUCH for your moral & financial support throughout this process. This honestly couldn’t have happened without you. I wish everyone and their families who have also been affected by this well. It was unbeknown to me how big this case would become & how many people would become aware of such private and sensitive aspects of my life and past. However, the outcome of all of this has made it worth it and I am thankful. Change doesn’t happen overnight. 

Thanks again and thank you to Mrs A, my co-claimant,  & our legal team, Sue Evans who was the original claimant before me, TransgenderTrend, Genspect and everyone who has stood up fearlessly and remained dignified and compassionate.

I still have legal costs to cover (my own legal team and the Tavistock’s). Many people have given so generously. If you can make one final donation that would be hugely appreciated.

LOVE.

On 17th September 2021 a decision at the Court of Appeal was reached. You can read it here. I am obviously disappointed with the ruling of the Court and especially that it did not grapple with the significant risk of harm that children are exposed to by being given powerful experimental drugs. I am surprised and disappointed that the Court was not concerned that children as young as 10 have been put on a pathway to sterilisation. 

I have no regrets in bringing this case along with Mrs A and Sue Evans. It has shone a light into the dark corners of a medical scandal that is harming children and harmed me. 

There is more to be done. It is a fantasy and deeply concerning that any doctor could believe a 10 year could consent to the loss of their fertility. In a medical service that sits outside conventional medical practice it is inadequate to say "trust the doctor". I am therefore seeking permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. Due to this, we have upped the target by 20k.

I wish to thank those who have supported me and Mrs A throughout this case whether through your messages or finances. Thank you so much.

As the date of the appeal (23/24 June) draws closer, the amount of work that has to be undertaken by the legal team is ramping up. My legal team is having to deal with legal submissions from 7 intervenors who want to see the judgement of the Divisional Court overturned. These are the University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Brook, Gendered Intelligence, The Endocrine Society, the Association of Lawyers for Children and Liberty.

As a result of the significant amount of legal work that needs to be done we have brought in an extra junior barrister to help the team.

I am greatly encouraged by the role the case has had in shaping the national and global conversation around protecting children with gender dysphoria. It is encouraging that the NHS are requiring additional interim safeguards for children who are seeking puberty blocking treatment. I am also encouraged that NICE have recently confirmed the very poor evidence base for this treatment as well as its unreliability and bias. Similarly the damning report by the CQC into practice at the Tavistock has been a further vindication of our concerns.

Nevertheless we face a significant task in defending the judgement of the Divisional Court. We are facing very well resourced opponents – the Tavistock being funded by the State and the other intervenors being organisations. Mrs A and I are so grateful for the many people who have generously given to this case. You are helping to shine a light of sanity into a deeply troubling and harmful practice that has been entangled with political activism.

In view of the significant amount of work that is required to undertake this appeal I have increased the target to £100,000. Please can I encourage you to give and to share this page.

Finally, you may be aware that in the case of AB the High Court recently ruled that parents can consent to their children receiving puberty blocking treatment when their children lack the capacity to consent. This is very troubling as it exposes many parents to huge pressure to consent to this experimental and harmful treatment. It also leaves many children without protection from making drastic irreversible lifelong decisions. My hope is that our case will highlight the important role of the court in protecting children from ideologically driven experimental medical practice.

Mrs A and I thank you for your ongoing support for us and in defending children from a harmful medical practice.

Today we heard from the Civil Appeals Office that the appeal will be heard for two days from 23rd June 2021.

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far!

DR DAVID BELL, TRANSGENDERTREND, THE ENDOCRINE SOCIETY, BROOK, GENDERED INTELLIGENCE AND THE ASSOCIATION OF LAWYERS FOR CHILDREN all granted permission to intervene in the Tavistock's appeal against the judgement of the divisional court.

Hey all,

Today on Friday 29th January a preliminary hearing was held remotely at the Court of Appeal. The Court has allowed numerous interventions to be considered at the Appeal. We are delighted to hear that Dr David Bell has been granted permission to intervene in our case. Dr Bell has recently retired from his position as staff governor and consultant psychiatrist at the Tavistock. His knowledge and expertise will be of great help in defending the damning judgement that was made in our favour at the High Court.

A lot of extra work will be needed to respond to the issues raised by so many interventions. The case has already sounded a significant note of caution around the world in the treatment of children and young people with gender dysphoria. It is vital that the judgement is upheld.

Thank you for all of your support this case. It is vital that we keep fundraising so that we can prepare a vigorous defence. 

Earlier today it was confirmed that the Tavistock have been granted permission to appeal our case at the Court of Appeal. There are two grounds on which they can be granted permission; realistic prospect of success or some other compelling reason. The appeal has been granted on the latter. The Court of Appeal is interested in the Tavistock’s position that the judgement in Gillick has not been properly followed by the Divisional Court.

We remain disappointed that the Tavistock is trying to overturn the rightful judgement that was made at the High Court last month. That judgement was welcomed by all the broadsheet newspapers. The NHS also welcomed the clarity the judgement brought. It sought to protect vulnerable children from making devastating life altering decisions to proceed with experimental medical treatment.

In order to continue fighting, myself and Mrs A require more funding for legal fees. We are currently in a deficit from the High Court proceedings and the costs will add up the further the appeal progresses. We are hugely grateful to everyone who has donated so far. We have gotten this far and further funding will enable us to fight all the way to ensure that vulnerable minors are protected.

Again a big thank you to all of those who have given their generous donations. We hit the initial target in two days! I know how important this case is for so many. Earlier in the week on Wednesday 6th Jan my lawyers lodged papers with the Court of Appeal against the Tavistocks request of an appeal. We await the Court of Appeals decision.

You may have seen more news break this weekend; The Times received court approval to publish several expert witness statements that we used in our case.

My lawyers have also been informed by the UCLH Trust and Leeds Hospital that they are considering applying to the Family Division of the High Court for a declaration that it would be lawful for them to provide puberty blockers to children who can’t consent on the basis of parental consent. We have asked that we are notified if they make any application so we can intervene in the proceedings. We are very concerned that this could undermine the protective role of the Court by continuing to expose children to experimental and harmful medical treatment. It is alarming that the Hospitals would be actively considering a way to avoid scrutiny by the Court.

I will be back with updates once I hear.

Best,

Keira