Anya Palmer

Anya Palmer is a British barrister specializing in employment law.^[1][2][3]

She has worked on a number of high profile employment tribunals and appeals.named in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 in 2023 ^[4]

Called to the Bar in 1999. Alumna of University of East London (1989 ) and London Guildhall University (1997 ).

Palmer worked for Stonewall, on high-profile test cases to establish equal rights for lesbians and gay men.^[5][6]

She acted for Maya Forstater in Forstater vs Centre for Global Development,^[7] a case which won discrimination protections for those who hold gender critical feminist beliefs. The principle established is that people with gender critical beliefs are protected from any discrimination because of those beliefs. ^[8]

Palmer acted for NHS whistleblower Sonia Appleby in her successful claim against the Tavistock clinic. Appleby reported concerns about practice at the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), a specialist service for children . The tribunal found that Appleby suffered “detriment” in response to raising these issues, which is contrary to the Employment Rights Act 1996.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Palmer is a trustee of Sex Matters, an advocacy organisation.^[13] As a legal scholar she writes about issues which impact employers in relation to the 2010 UK Equality Act.^{[14][15][16][17]}

• Changing Rooms?^[18]
• Why employers should reconsider Trans Day of Remembrance ^[19]

• Less equal than others: a survey of lesbians and gay men at work^[20]

• Queer bashing : a national survey of hate crimes against lesbians and gay men ^[21]
• Brexit: The LGBT Impact Assessment^[22]