PRAGUE (AP) – The Czech Republic’s highest court ruled on Tuesday to eliminate a requirement for individuals to undergo gender-affirmation surgery, including sterilization, in order to officially change their gender. The Constitutional Court deemed these requirements unconstitutional and in violation of the fundamental rights of trans individuals to protect their physical integrity and personal autonomy in connection with their human dignity.
This decision, which cannot be appealed, was supported by all but two of the court’s 15 judges. Lawmakers have until the middle of next year to amend the affected sections of the law.
The court’s ruling came after a person seeking a gender change was denied registration as a man because they had not undergone surgery. This practice in the Czech Republic has been criticized by LGBTQ+ rights groups.
Czechia, as the country is also known, was one of the last European Union countries to enforce such conditions in their laws.
