Judge concerned by patient using online hormone medication to transition

Mr Justice Hayden is considering the woman’s case in the Court of Protection and raised concern at the latest hearing in London.

Court of Protection, where judges make decisions about people who may lack the mental capacity to take decisions for themselves (Robert Evans/Alamy/PA)

A judge has raised concern after being told that a patient at centre of proceedings in a specialist court, who is transitioning to a woman after being born a man, is using hormone medication she found online.

Mr Justice Hayden is considering the case at hearings in the Court of Protection, where judges make decisions about people who may lack the mental capacity to take decisions for themselves.

The judge has heard how the woman, who now uses “she/her” pronouns and is in her 20s and lives in northern England, had suffered a brain injury and lived with carers after undergoing rehabilitation.

He raised concern at the latest hearing in London and said it was in the woman’s best interests to use medication proscribed by a specialist.

Lawyers representing a council with responsibility for the woman’s care told the judge how staff had discovered that she was using medication thought to come from eastern Europe.

Mr Justice Hayden made no orders barring the woman from using the medication or from using the internet.

But he said carers should explain his concerns about the use of “illicit” medication.

He is due to reconsider the case at a further hearing in the near future.

The judge, who is based in London and also hears cases in the Family Division of the High Court, said the woman could not be identified in media reports.

He said reports should not reveal where in northern England she lived in case that detail created an information jigsaw which might lead people to identify her.