The Law Commission has recommended major changes to UK surrogacy law to make things simpler for intended parents – but campaigners say more is needed.
In a review commissioned by the government, the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission proposed a new pathway to legal parenthood which would mean intended parents have parental rights from birth.
Currently, intended parents must wait to obtain a court order, which should take six week but in reality can be much longer. Under the proposals, intended parents would have those rights from birth – though the surrogate would be able to withdraw her consent and assert parental rights until six weeks after birth.