This picture is from our 2016 volume of PGAs. We receive legislation from The Stationary Office throughout the year as it is published, and eventually send the individuals Acts off the be bound together. The resulting volumes can be found in Room C and are a great source of legislation as enacted.
The first page of the Armed Forces Act 2016.
To conclude LGBT+ History Month we're celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the Armed Forces Act 2016; section 14 of the Act amends the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, and as a result homosexual acts are no longer grounds for being discharged from the armed forces.
This case went to the House of Lords in 2003 (which the report above covers) which upheld the decision despite acknowledging "the humanitarian considerations underlying Mrs Bellinger's claim. Much suffering is involved for those afflicted with gender identity disorder."
It is 25 years sine Bellinger v Bellinger, in which the court concluded that the recognition of a change of gender was a matter for Parliament and in the absence of legislation the court could not hold that a person had altered gender.
It is 30 years since P v S and Cornwall County Council, a landmark case in the ECJ which extended the scope of sex equality to discrimination against transgender people.
An open book showing a several cases as reported in the Times Law Reports. The focus of the image is the case P v S and Cornwall County Council.
An open book showing the case Bellinger v Bellinger as reported in the Times Law Reports.
Shared here are two landmark cases with anniversaries this year. Both are reported in the Times Law Reports, when they stopped leaving us to our cutting and sticking and instead started sending out pages to file once a week. To this day we continue to receive and file regular deliveries.
You can find more information about the case and a link to the judgement in our LGBT+ legal history timeline.
A newspaper cutting stuck on to a page in a ring binder. Above the cutting the words European Court of Human Rights are handwritten. The title of the cutting is Transexual's rights not breached and it is a report of the 1986 case Rees v United Kingdom. The text of the report is too small to be legible.
This year marks 40 years since Rees v the United Kingdom. The above image shows the case as reported in the Times on 21st October 1986. It would have been cut out and stuck in to our volume by a member of library staff back in 1986, with the court and date written in by hand.
This year marks 150 years since Hyde v Hyde and Woodmansee. Although a case about polygamy, it established the legal definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.
The case is available online here: www.uniset.ca/other/ths/LR...
Throughout the month we’ll be highlighting some landmark cases and legislation that, for better or worse, have shaped the history of LGBT+ people and communities in Britain.
You can find the timeline linked in our bio, and all resources shared will be accessible in the library.
February is LGBT+ History month, and to mark the occasion we’ve put together a timeline of LGBT+ legal history. Up to date to 2021, it certainly isn’t comprehensive, but it does give some shocking insights into the long and arduous process of fighting for equality and justice.
A cartoon person peers through binoculars. Above them text reads we are looking for a training librarian.
We are recruiting for a Training Librarian, come and work with us! Details at the link in our bio.
Closing date is 16 February 2026.
A book titled 'Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading' stood up next to a potted plant.
Often unnoticed here in the library is our lending collection. Although it covers an array of topics there is a heavy focus on wellbeing. If Blue Monday feels a little too real today, come down and take a look at what we have on offer, it's much cheaper than a holiday!
And although it seems a little bit of a sham, Blue Monday is a good prompt to start thinking and talking about our mental health.
Today is Blue Monday! Falling on the third Monday of January, Blue Monday supposedly marks the most depressing day of the year. Although a very complicated-looking formula exists to calculate it, Blue Mondays origins seem to stem less from mathematics and more from covert PR for holiday companies...
If you haven't already spotted over on our instagram, the mini books are back! Swing by the library to grab your own, and don't forget to pass on your special requests. The elves are working hard 😀🎄📖
Check My Citation Got a dubious citation? Unsure whether a case actually exists? Don’t let inaccurate or AI-generated case citations make their way into your bundles. Check My Citation is your go-to service for verifying legal citations against authoritative sources - helping you to uphold professional standards and avoid reputational damage. The regulatory ruling of 6 June 2025 highlights the importance of staying vigilant. Check My Citation helps you stay hallucination free. What we do: We will search leading legal databases and/or print sources to confirm whether your case citation is accurate and legitimate. How to submit citations for checking: This service is available to all members of the Inns of Court. Submit up to 5 citation(s) per day via our simple online form. We’ll search, verify, and reply. www.innertemplelibrary.org.uk/check-my-citation This information is based on searches conducted across a range of legal databases and printed resources where relevant. It does not constitute legal advice.
This information is based on searches conducted across a range of legal databases and printed resources where relevant.
It does not constitute legal advice.
How to submit citations for checking:
This service is available to all members of the Inns of Court.
Submit up to 5 citation(s) per day via our simple online form. www.innertemplelibrary.org.uk/check-my-citation
We’ll search, verify, and reply.
What we do:
We will search leading legal databases and/or print sources to confirm whether your case citation is accurate and legitimate.
The regulatory ruling of 6 June 2025 highlights the importance of staying vigilant. Check My Citation helps you stay hallucination free.
Check My Citation is your go-to service for verifying legal citations against authoritative sources - helping you to uphold professional standards and avoid reputational damage.
Stick figure examining a case citation using a magnifying glass.
Barristers! Got a dubious citation? Unsure whether a case actually exists?
Don’t let inaccurate or AI-generated case citations
make their way into your bundles.
Today we begin trialling a new service. It's called 'Check My Citation'. www.innertemplelibrary.org.uk/check-my-cit...
Current Awareness - Hospital worker guilty of child sex offences – BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Current Awareness - SRA decides against changing who pays for compensation fund – Legal Futures www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/...
Current Awareness - Boosting cybersecurity: New Software Security Code of Practice for software vendors – Kingsley Napley Corporate and Commercial Law Blog www.kingsleynapley.co.uk/insights/blo...
Current Awareness - Three child sex abusers have sentences increased after solicitor general’s intervention – The Guardian www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Current Awareness - GMC challenged in High Court after embolism death – BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Current Awareness - NHS medical negligence liabilities hit £58.2bn amid calls to improve patient safety – The Guardian www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
