Suella Braverman, former home secretary and Reform UK’s education spokesman, has called for an investigation into Staffordshire Police’s policy of placing transgender women in female-only detention cells. The controversy arises from the force’s practice of assigning detainees to accommodation aligned with their gender identity rather than their biological sex.

Braverman criticized the policy as a violation of the law, citing a 2025 Supreme Court ruling that defined “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 as biological sex at birth, rather than gender identity. She argued that Staffordshire Police’s custody arrangements disregard this legal precedent and pose risks to women’s safety.

In a social media statement, Braverman said she had formally requested the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to investigate Staffordshire Police’s custody policy, its purported failure to comply with the law, and to mandate its revision. The Supreme Court’s ruling last April reinforced that single-sex spaces, including lavatories and changing rooms, must be based on biological sex, and that service providers may lawfully exclude transgender individuals from such spaces.

Staffordshire Police has defended its approach, emphasizing the safety and privacy measures in place within its detention facilities. A force spokesperson said all detainees are housed in individual cells equipped with separate toilet and handwashing facilities. Exercise yards and shower times are arranged to ensure detainees do not come into contact with each other. “The welfare, dignity and safety of all detainees is paramount,” the statement added.

This dispute highlights ongoing tensions over how laws and policies should accommodate transgender individuals, especially in contexts involving custodial arrangements and single-sex provisions. The outcome of the EHRC's review, if pursued, could have implications for similar policies across other police forces and public institutions.