Assisted reproduction is leading the law on parentage into confusion, says Sheena Parry
L ord Alton, speaking in the House of Lords in January, raised a case purportedly involving twins, separately adopted at birth, who unknowingly married each other. The truth of the story has since been doubted, as there is no reference to such a case in any law reports. However far-fetched this may seem, with the growth of “reproductive tourism” and advances in assisted reproduction techniques, is the prospect of similar cases becoming more likely?
Adopted children are allowed access to some information about their natural parents, and this has recently been extended to include those conceived as a result of donor insemination, who, when aged 18 or over, may make an application to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) for information under s 31(4) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1991. Prior to 1991 a voluntary database ukdonorlink.org.uk is available which provides an information exchange for donors and children conceived by a donor.
Unfortunately, those born as a result of informal assisted reproduction techniques are less privileged. If the
