ReformingSurrogacyLaw.blog was established as part of a research project entitled ‘Ensuring the rights of the child in surrogacy law reform: reflections on the proposals’. The project comprised various elements to engage with a varied audience on issues arising from the Law Commissions’ reform proposals.
The aim of the project: to advocate for the rights of the child in proposed surrogacy reform, ensuring the child, as the key participant in the arrangement, is adequately recognised and protected through law reform.
The motivation for setting up the blog was to make the process of law reform more accessible to a wide readership. Many with an interest in surrogacy as a practice may not have a full appreciation of the legal issues involved. The blog therefore aims to break down the recommendations, offer a concise reflection on the key aspects, and comment on what this may mean in light of the existing law.
The wider research project aims to reflect on the proposals from a child-rights perspective. The blog will provide updates on this wider project, too.
The face behind the project
I’m Dr Lottie Park-Morton, a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Gloucestershire.
I have had an interest in the legal regulation of surrogacy since teaching it as part of Medical Law back in 2018. My PhD research was an analysis of the extent to which domestic laws adequately protect the rights of the children born following surrogacy, researching across three jurisdictions. A key aspect of my research is advocating for a child-centric approach to law reform in England and Wales, with a particular focus on the child’s right to preserve their identity and to have their best interests as a primary consideration.
reforming surrogacy law 