The Gender Recognition Act 2004 provides transsexual people with the opportunity to obtain legal recognition in their acquired gender. Legal recognition follows from the issue of a full gender recognition certificate by a Gender Recognition Panel. Section 4 of the Act requires that where a Panel has granted an application to a married applicant, the gender recognition certificate that it must issue shall be an interim gender recognition certificate which may then be used by either party to the marriage as evidence in support of an application to annul the marriage. This Practice Direction sets out the necessary procedures.
