Police forces across the UK have come under fire for delaying policy changes following a Supreme Court ruling confirming that strip-searches must align with biological sex, not gender identity.
Despite the legal clarification from the country’s highest court, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) advised forces to take a “case-by-case” approach and urged “patience,” prompting backlash from female officers and campaigners who say the lack of urgency disregards women’s rights.
Forces such as Sussex, Merseyside, Northumbria, and Surrey confirmed they still permit trans officers to strip-search detainees based on gender identity, while national guidance remains under review.
Whistleblowers have accused police leadership of trying to “circumvent” the ruling and showing greater institutional support for trans-identifying staff than for gender-critical or female personnel.
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has weighed in, sharply criticising the police response and warning of potential legal repercussions.
In a widely shared tweet Rowling condemned the ongoing allowance of biologically male trans officers to strip-search women as a breach of legality, writing:
“I’m sure they hope no woman decides to sue. Of course, I’ll fund her if she does.”
Her public pledge has sparked renewed pressure on police forces to comply with the Supreme Court’s judgment and acknowledge what critics describe as long-standing violations of women’s dignity and legal protections.
To those celebrating the fact that I’m smoking a blunt: it’s a cigar. Even if it decided to identify as a blunt for the purposes of this celebration, it would remain objectively, provably and demonstratively a cigar. https://t.co/OsBUsrmLvZ
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 16, 2025
The police think to be above the law. Not for the first time.
Good woman Rowling. In a position to execute her threats
Good on ya JK. Every women (after giving a hands off warning) would be well within their rights in defending themselves by kicking said “trans” in the balls.