Humza Yousaf has decided to press ahead with court action to try and overturn the UK Government's veto of Nicola Sturgeon's self-ID gender reforms.

Shirley-Anne Somerville, the SNP government's Social Justice Secretary, said a petition for judicial review would be lodged in the Scottish courts.

In a written parliamentary answer, she accused Alister Jack, the Scottish Secretary of failing to provide "sufficient justification" for the move.

Ms Somerville also argued the veto power had not been used in line with a memorandum of understanding governing relations between London and Edinburgh.

She said: "To uphold the democratic decision of the Parliament, and ensure proper protection of devolution, Scottish Ministers will now lodge a petition for judicial review of the Secretary of State’s decision."

The controversial Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill would allow Scots to change their legal sex by signing a statutory declaration, removing the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

It would also drastically lower the time period in which someone must live in their “acquired gender” from two years to as little as six months and allow 16 and 17-year-olds to obtain Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs) for the first time.

Mr Jack blocked the Bill using an order tabled under Section 35 of the Scotland Act, which prevented it getting Royal Assent and becoming law.

There was a huge public backlash against the reforms after trans predator Isla Bryson was initially sent to a women's prison after being convicted of two rapes.

Although Bryson had not legally changed gender, Scottish Prison Service guidance at the time stated that trans criminals should be sent to the jail that matched their self-identified gender that they were living in prior to their conviction.

Despite this, a defiant Ms Sturgeon said before her sudden resignation in February that she intended to challenge the Section 35 order by making an application for judicial review in the Scottish courts.

More to follow.