Ireland: Transsexual wins landmark identity case

Ireland On-line
Transsexual wins landmark identity case
31/05/2007 - 16:23:06

A transsexual today won a landmark case to have her new name changed from male to female on her Leaving Cert exam certificate.

The action had been taken against the State Examinations Commission and the Department of Education and Science.

The case was settled when the State Examinations Commission agreed to reissue the transsexual's Leaving Certificate as well as her Group Intermediate Certificate exams in the female name she had chosen.

Equality Authority chief Niall Crowley said the outcome was a valuable and necessary recognition for transsexual people from an important statutory body.

“Steps should now be taken by the Government to provide a legal recognition for transsexual people in the gender with which they identify so that the example of the State Examinations Commission can be followed across all sectors,” he said.

The complainant was registered at birth as male but was diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder and underwent treatment for this.

She changed her name by deed poll and requested to have her Group Intermediate Certificate and her Leaving Certificate amended to reflect her new name as she needed these documents to find a job.

She contacted the Department of Education and Science who referred her to the State Examinations Commission.

The Commission advised her that is was not possible to have her Group Certificate and Leaving Certificate reissued in her new name.