Paul Conrathe vs. transgender people

Paul Conrathe is an English solicitor and anti-transgender activist. Conrathe was solicitor for Keira Bell in Bell v Tavistock and has represented other clients in anti-trans legal matters.

Background

Paul Anthony Conrathe was born in April 1967. Conrathe earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Birmingham in 1988. After graduating, Conrathe spent two years working on a religious inner-city project before returning to Birmingham in 1990 to take the Common Professional Examination. Conrathe completed the Law Society Finals at De Montfort University.

Conrathe qualified as a solicitor in 1995 with Graham Pearce in Solihull, remaining there until 1998. Conrathe then joined Coningsbys as a partner, becoming its senior partner in 2000. Conrathe initially specialized education law and later focused on human rights law. Conrathe later moved to Sinclairslaw. In December 2024, Conrathe co-founded Conrathe Gardner LLP with James Gardner.

Conrathe has acted in a number of controversial high-profile cases touching on abortion, end-of-life care, religious expression, and gender identity.

Conrathe is an evangelical Christian, serving as a director of UnitedLife church in Cheam until 2019 and of Premier Christian Media until 2012. Conrather has worked with the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship and spoke at a Christian Medical Fellowship conference in 2005.

Anti-trans activism

Conrathe has represented clients in a number of legal dosputes about gender.

Miller v College of Policing

Conrathe acted for former police officer Harry Miller, who challenged police handling of tweets about transgender issues and College of Policing guidance on non-crime hate incidents.

Bell v Tavistock

Conrathe was solicitor for ex-trans activist Keira Bell and “Mrs A”, the parent of a teenager on the waiting list, in a judicial review against the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust’s Gender Identity Development Service. In December 2020 the Divisional Court held that it was highly unlikely someone aged 13 or under, and doubtful that a 14- or 15-year-old, could give informed consent to puberty blockers. In September 2021 the Court of Appeal overturned the decision, holding that competence was a matter for clinicians rather than the court.

Other matters

Sinclairslaw, through Conrathe, acted in several other crowdfunded cases on sex and gender issues around 2019–21, including:

• a Safe Schools Alliance challenge to Crown Prosecution Service hate-crime guidance
• a challenge by barrister Sarah Phillimore to police recording of non-crime hate incidents
• a challenge to transgender guidance for schools in Oxfordshire

2026 IACAPAP Congress

In 2026, Conrathe presented at the World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP). The conference was notable for the high number of anti-trans activists who presented.

Legal aspects and gender dysphoria in children and adolescents (link)

• Florian Zepf (profile) and Emily Sitarski (profile): Chairs
• Florian Zepf (profile): Current legal debates on Gender Dysphoria in minors: Historical contexts
• Liane Wörner (profile): Gender Dysphoria in minors: Recent legal developments in Germany (1)
• Alexandra Windsberger (profile): Gender Dysphoria in minors: Recent legal developments in Germany (2)
• Lodewijk Smeehuijzen (profile): Reassessing pediatric gender medicine: A Dutch legal perspective
• Paul Conrathe (profile): Keira Bell and beyond: UK case law on Gender Dysphoria in minors

References

Staff report (January 16, 2021). Religious Right linked law firm receives £314k from ‘gender critical’ causes. Trans Safety Network https://transsafety.network/posts/christian-right-linked-law-firm/

O’Donnell, Katherine (December 3, 2020). British Court Ruling on Puberty Blockers Stinks of Anti-Trans Cruelty. The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/british-anti-trans-court-ruling-on-puberty-blockers-stinks-of-cruelty/

Anti-trans coverage

Lane, Bernard (August 10, 2022). Tavistock faces potential class action lawsuit. Gender Clinic News https://www.genderclinicnews.com/p/tavistock-faces-potential-class-action

Staff report (September 23, 2021). Court of Appeal overturns high-profile judgment on children’s ability to consent to puberty blockers. Crown Office Row https://www.1cor.com/london/2021/09/23/court-of-appeal-overturns-high-profile-judgment-on-childrens-ability-to-consent-to-puberty-blockers-for-gender-dysphoria/

Pailthorpe, Steve (December 2, 2020). Press release: Keira Bell Wins Landmark Judgement Against Tavistock NHS Trust. SBWire http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/keira-bell-wins-landmark-judgement-against-tavistock-nhs-trust-1318548.htm

Resources

Conrathe Gardner LLP (conrathegardner.com)

• Paul Conrathe, Founding Partner
• conrathegardner.com/our-people