Bernard Lane article from The Australian: “Judges to Oversee Transgender Teen Treatment”

[UtopiaPlanitia]

I saw this article linked to online but it’s behind a paywall, so here’s an archived copy that I found:

archive.is/gWxDo

[Cailin66]

Currently can't access that archive but was able to get this:

Judges to oversee trans teen treatment A children’s hospital gender ­clinic is under review, with ­responsibility for treatment decisions shifted to judges amid great ­secrecy and an international trend towards caution.

[Helleofabore]

Thanks for sharing that archived version Utopia.

That is at least a step in the right direction.

[UtopiaPlanitia]

Cailin Here’s the few important final paragraphs:

“The judge, who suppressed details of the case before her of a 16-year-old biological female wanting to begin testosterone injections to make her body masculine, noted the new policy of court approval for treatment would apply while the children’s hospital gender clinic underwent a review. Even in cases where the child was 16 or older, able to give informed consent, and parents and clinicians agreed on treatment, the hospital said it was likely to remain neutral, neither consenting nor opposing the ­application to the court.

The unidentified gender clinic appears to be the first in Australia to take the precaution of shifting responsibility from doctors back to judges when it comes to deciding if a minor is mature enough to give informed consent to treatment under the common law Gillick competency rule.

This shift to caution undercuts a long and successful campaign spearheaded by the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne to persuade Family Court judges it was safe to trust clinicians with testing the capacity of minors to understand and authorise their own medicalised gender change”

Helle It is a reassuring step towards caution and sense in treating vulnerable young people. I was very surprised to read about it because, from what I could glean from news reports, Australia seems to be heading the way of Canada and the US in its treatment methods.

[InvisibleDragon]

That's a really important development. Really great to see that Australia is taking the harms of paediatric transition and puberty blockers seriously.

[FannyCann]

Archive works for me but here are a couple of screen shots that cover most of it.
Keira Bell is such a Shero
Australia has sat up and taken notice of her case and slammed the brakes on. The lawyers are in charge.


"The Australian understands the dramatic change followed concerns raised by a state solicitor’s office about the risk of government exposure to litigation akin to the successful case brought against Britain’s Tavistock clinic by Keira Bell, a young woman who came to regret her treatment with puberty blockers, testosterone and mastectomy."

[UtopiaPlanitia]

Thanks Fanny, including some screenshots didn’t occur to me when I posted but I’ll include them from now on when I’m linking offsite

[FannyCann]

Well technically we're not meant to, at least not on Mumsnet though I don't think anyone cares on twitter
Copyright I assume so 🤫😉

[NotBadConsidering]

Wow. This is big news.

[ChakaDakotaRegina]

Bernard Lane has been brilliant on this.

[EmpressWitchDoesntBurn]

Fantastic.

[sabinaapplecross]

The following links give more information and context to the Bernard Lane article. As a PP has stated he and the Australian have been tenacious on this subject, to the point that a complaint has been made to the Press Council about him. A superficial look at that website isn't showing that the complaint has been adjudicated yet.

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-24/michelle-telfer-trans-children-health/100137192

www.abc.net.au/austory/a-balancing-act/13352452

www.abc.net.au/austory/statement-from-bernard-lane/13352410