Gay woman’s right to motherhood without adoption

Yesterday on 15th July 2022, a gay woman’s right to motherhood without adoption has been granted by the High Court in London after officials tried to force her to adopt her own child due to their mistake. 

In a case which she has described as “painful and humiliating”, Sarah Osborne was forced to undergo adoption protocol for her own child, conceived through IVF with her partner Helen Arnold, 48. This process involved a DBS check and an assessment of her suitability as a parent by social workers. 

When the same-sex couple initially registered their child at the Cambridge register office, they were told by a registrar that because Osborne “clearly wasn’t” the father that her name could not be permitted on the birth certificate, as reported by theguardian.com

The registrar’s prohibition of Osborne’s name on the birth certificate went against the legal ruling that those who go through the process of IVF – and consent to parenthood of the child conceived – are entitled to their name on their child’s birth certificate. Osborne regarded the registrar’s claim as “disrespectful, indignant and flippant”, and admitted that she was made to “feel stupid for asking or expecting to be named as a parent”. 

Mr Justice Macdonald, who authorised the naming of Osborne on the certificate, which means that she will not have to complete the process of adoption to adopt her own child,  described the case as “a very difficult number of years” of “distress and discomfort”. He also  wished the couple “the best for the future”. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.