London - Two transsexuals who were born male but fought a long battle for the right to be legally recognised as female lost their cases by a narrow margin at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg yesterday.
Ms Kristina Sheffield and Ms Rachel Horsham claimed that Britain's refusal to allow transsexuals to change their birth certificates and marry in their adopted sex violated rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.
Britain is one of only four of the 40 signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights which refuse to allow transsexuals to re-register their births. The others are Ireland, Andorra and Albania.