BBC Scotland News
PA MediaThe Scottish Conservatives have failed in a bid to oust Green MSP Maggie Chapman from Holyrood’s equalities committee after she criticised the judiciary over a judgement on the definition of a woman.
Chapman – the committee’s deputy convener – accused the court of “bigotry, prejudice and hatred” after it ruled a woman is defined by her biological sex under the Equality Act.
Those comments were described as “reprehensible” by the dean of the faculty of advocates and sparked a Tory attempt to remove the Green MSP from the committee.
The motion was rejected by committee members by four votes to three.
Three SNP members, as well as Chapman, voted against the motion. Two Conservatives and one Labour member voted in favour.
The UK’s highest court ruled two weeks ago that “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 “refer to a biological woman and biological sex”.
Chapman hit out at the judiciary at a transgender rights rally in Aberdeen the following weekend. The Green MSP subsequently said she stood by her comments, and that it was her role to “stand up and represent trans people”.
The dean of the faculty of advocates, Roddy Dunlop KC, said Chapman should consider her role as deputy convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee at Holyrood as her remarks conflicted with Holyrood guidance on impartiality.
‘Dangerous and incendiary’
Committee member and Conservative MSP Tess White lodged a motion to remove Chapman.
She described the Green member’s remarks as “dangerous and incendiary”.
White claimed Chapman had failed to uphold the independence of the judiciary and that her position on the committee had become “untenable”.
Chapman said she respected the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, and had never questioned the Supreme Court’s right to make a ruling on any matter.
She said it was her job to “stand up” for her constituents and that she would not stop being a “vocal trans ally”.
The Supreme Court ruling was accepted by the Scottish government, with First Minister John Swinney saying Chapman’s comments were “wrong”.
