R (Coll) v Secretary of State for Justice
[2017] UKSC 40 (on appeal from [2015] EWCA Civ 328)
24 May 2017
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The Supreme Court has today given judgment allowing this appeal, and finding that the Secretary of State for Justice has discriminated unlawfully against women in the manner in which Approved Premises (formerly known as probation hostels) have been provided for women on their release from custody.
There are 94 Approved Premises for men, throughout England and Wales, but only 6 for women. As a result, women are often forced to stay many miles from their homes and families, and may suffer long-term disadvantages in terms of accommodation, rehabilitation, and employment, as well as in re-establishing their relationships in the community after release. The Supreme Court held that the provision of Approved Premises treats women less favourably than men on the grounds of their sex, and that it has not been shown by the Secretary of State to be justified, because no attempt has been made to assess the costs and benefits of alternative forms of provision.
Dinah Rose QC and Iain Steele represented the Appellant.
