Scotland’s gender reform bill was not blocked due to policy row, court told

Members of the Scottish Feminist Network outside the court of session in Edinburgh. Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA

Claiming Scotland’s gender recognition reform bill was blocked because Westminster disagreed with it is a “red herring”, according to a lawyer acting for the UK government

On the second day of the Scottish government’s legal challenge to No 10’s veto of the bill, David Johnston KC told the court of session in Edinburgh that the first ever use of the section 35 power was in “no way unconstitutional”.