'Prisoner A' is legally female, and being held in a men's prison A trans woman, serving a life-sentence for manslaughter and attempted rape claims the court denying her application for residence in a women's prison violates her human rights. The prisoner, who for legal reasons can only be identified as 'Prisoner A,' placed an application to a UK court to be relocated to a women's prison, but had her request declined. Prisoner A has already successfully had her gender officially recognisd by law, having her birth certificate updated under the Gender Recognition Act 2004. She has had laser hair removal on her face and legs as well as developing breasts following hormone treatment. Addressing the High Court, the woman's lawyer stated that 'keeping her in a men's prison was a violation of the right to respect for her private life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.' Prisoner A watched the proceedings from prison via video link. The lawyer told the court Prisoner A was desperate to get her gender reassignment surgery, but that medics refused to perform the procedure until she had lived as a woman for a significant amount of time, which would only be possible in a women's prison. 'A' has been forbidden from wearing any female clothing such as skirts or blouses, and anything more than 'subtle makeup', even though she is being held in the vulnerable prisoners' wing. Prison staff and authorities argue that she will be no better off in a women's prison and that, if moved, she would have to spend long periods in segregation at an extra cost of £80,000 per year The hearing has been adjourned to a later date.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Monday, 27th July 2009 - 3:00pm