Campaigners, Bayswater Support Group, Keira Bell, and James Esses, are seeking to proceed with their judicial review to halt the clinical trials which would give children hormone suppressing drugs, known as puberty blockers. They will also make an application for an emergency injunction to stop the recruitment of children onto the trial.
In February 2026 The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) paused the trials over concerns of "potentially significant" biological harm to participants, but in June the MHRA and Health Research Authority (HRA) confirmed the PATHWAYS trials would proceed after agreeing a modified protocol.
The trials would allow girls as young as 11, and boys as young as 12, to be recruited from 1st August.
The High Court will decide whether to grant permission for the judicial review to proceed, and will also consider the emergency application to suspend recruitment pending the outcome of the broader legal challenge.
Kings College London - Pathways Trial details
The hearing is scheduled over two days at the High court beginning Monday 27th July 2026
UPDATE 31st July 2026: Judge rejected both applications to proceed with judicial review and to halt participate recruitment for puberty blocker trials. Read the judgment here
27th July 2026 - morning session part one only, afternoon session part one, part two and part three
28th July 2026 - morning session part one and part two, afternoon session part one and part two
J - Judge Mr Justice Chamberlain
Claimants
BSG - The Bayswater Support Group
KB - Keira Bell
JE - James Esses
CB/AMcC - Claimants’ barrister, Angus McCullough KC
Defendants
HRA - Health Research Authority
SoS - The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
DB - Defendants’ barristers or
JM - Julian Milford KC for Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
JR - Jenny Richards Kc for HRA KC
Interested Parties
KCL - Kings College London
SLAM - South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
IPB or IP - Barristers for the interested parties
AS - Andrew Sharland KC for KCL
FS - Fiona Scolding KC for SLAM
General
PATHWAYS - Puberty Suppression and Transitional Healthcare with Adaptive Youth Services
GI - Gender incongruence
GD - Gender dysphoria
PB - Puberty blockers or GNRA
CSH - Cross‑sex hormones
LCM - Life‑changing medication
IS - Irreversible surgeries
PSD - Potential sudden death
CSH Rx - Cross‑sex hormone prescriptions
Rx - Prescription
Cass - Cass Review
PC - Protected characteristic
GR - Gender reassignment
Legislation, Regulation, and Research Frameworks
2004 Regs - Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004
CA - Care Act 2014
REC - Research Ethics Committee
MHRA - Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
CTIMPs - Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products
GAfREC - Governance Arrangements for Research Ethics Committees
IRAS - Integrated Research Application System
NIHR - National Institute for Health and Care Research
NHSE - NHS England
CHM - Commission on Human Medicines
HR(A) - Human Rights (Act 1998)
SC - Supreme Court (UK)
Here are links to relevant press coverage about this case. These links are included without comment and are not endorsed by Tribunal Tweets.
BBC - Puberty blockers trial can start recruiting children after judge rejects legal challenge
Telegraph - Children can be recruited for puberty blocker trial, High Court rules
Guardian - High court clears way for clinical trial giving puberty blockers to children
National - Puberty blockers clinical trial set to proceed in England
Daily Mail - Puberty blocker trial should be stopped until legal challenge is heard, court told
Telegraph - Puberty blocker trial could be halted next week
BBC - Puberty blocker trial will help reduce harm, says Cass report author
Daily Mail - Health Secretary 'uneasy' over puberty blockers experiment on kids
Unherd - Andy Burnham is ducking vital questions on puberty blockers
Telegraph - Minister stripped of puberty blocker brief after expressing safety concerns
Spiked - The NHS puberty-blockers trial is an unforgivable betrayal
Spectator - Why is Baroness Cass backing another puberty blocker trial?
Cymru Nation - Puberty blocker trial to go ahead after ‘reassurances’, Health Secretary says
Pharmaceutical Journal - Minimum age set for puberty blockers trial
BBC - Puberty blocker trial will help reduce harm, says Cass report author
Telegraph - Tories seek to halt puberty blocker trial
BBC - Minimum age of 11 set for UK puberty blocker trial
Gov.uk - MRHA and HRA approve trials
Telegraph - Girls aged 11 eligible for restarted puberty blocker trial
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