Petition Don't allow gender change to delay a criminal trial

At present, if an accused undergoes a gender change, criminal proceedings including rape trials may be delayed for as long as six months, for no reason other than to change gender pronouns in documentation.

Whether it were the victim or the accused undergoing the change, it is fundamentally unfair for something that does not affect the events of the past to obstruct the course of justice in the present, and puts undue suffering onto those involved.

We appreciate the notion of maintaining a "fair trial" by referring to suspects by their chosen gender pronoun, but in this instance it appears to give respect to the accused at the expense of the alleged victim. We call upon the courts to disregard such unnecessary bureaucracy, and to allow proceedings without delay.