The High Court of New Zealand has ruled a blanket ban on puberty blockers for trans youth in the country is unlawful. The regulation, due to take effect in December last year, would have prevented doctors from prescribing puberty blockers to new patients experiencing gender dysphoria or gender incongruence. But in a judgment handed down on Wednesday, the court found the Health Minister’s decision was unlawful and the regulations should be set aside. Justice Dale La Hood said it was “a discriminatory and disproportionate response” and there was “overwhelming clinical support” for the use of puberty blockers to treat gender dysphoria. "Youth requiring treatment for gender dysphoria/incongruence are being denied access to clinically appropriate medicine to which their peers have access for different conditions,” the judgment said. The Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA) brought the case against the NZ Ministry of Health over the ban.