New Birth Technologies and Surrogacy
Describe the legal issues relevant to birth technologies and surrogacy Family law affects the lives of each individual and all types of family arrangements. Presently, there are a number of Birth Technologies and Surrogacy treatments that allow infertile individuals to produce a baby. More than one per cent of births in Australia involve the use of Assisted Reproductive Technologies . Laws relating to New Birth Technology and Surrogacy are a matter for state governments in Australia. ... Under NSW law the sperm donor is not considered to be the legal father of the child, even if he is named on the birth certificate. ... Surrogacy, when a woman agrees to become pregnant and bear a child on behalf of another couple who are unable to have children of their own, has spawned a host of legal issues. Opponents to surrogacy contracts assert that a surrogates right to reproductive freedom and privacy are so basic that she cannot be obligated, even by a contractual arrangement, to relinquish her rights upon the birth of a child. ... NSW has no current legislation regarding Surrogacy and it is thus not distinctively prohibited. ... The NSW Law Reform Commission Report (1988) recommended commercial Surrogacy be prohibited by law and non-commercial Surrogacy not be encouraged.