The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

The (im)possible parents in law

The (im)possible parents in law
The (im)possible parents in law
Contributing authors were asked to consider three interrelated questions regarding family and responsibility in light of changing family arrangements: ‘When do these relationships become ‘familial’? When is family responsibility acquired? When does that responsibility become legal responsibility?’ In this chapter I address these questions by focusing on the ascription of legal parent status in light of recent changes brought about under the auspices of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (HFEA 2008).

The first two questions will be addressed briefly at the outset. The main focus of the chapter lies with the deliberation of the final question; by examining the provisions of the HFEA 2008 I outline the now possible – and crucially, the remaining impossible – legal parents in current Anglo-Welsh law (with the attendant allocated legal responsibilities or denial thereof).

This analysis traces the (in)consistency and limitations of legal imagination regarding potential parents and responsibility, illustrating that the once unimaginable has (in many instances, but not all) now become possible, and questions what this might mean in the future.
legal parent, responsibility, parental responsibility, parenthood, human fertilisation and embryology act 2008, legal imagination, HFEA 2008, assisted reproductive technologies, ARTs, mother, father, genetic, surrogacy, adoption, birth certificate, birth, intention, civil partnership, same-sex, inequality, marriage, co-mother, egg donor, kinship, single person
9781409402022
201-220
Ashgate Publishing
Jones, Caroline
e39a554e-f70d-4f90-b0dc-efa252e7d41e
Lind, Craig
Keating, Heather
Bridgeman, Jo
Jones, Caroline
e39a554e-f70d-4f90-b0dc-efa252e7d41e
Lind, Craig
Keating, Heather
Bridgeman, Jo

Jones, Caroline (2011) The (im)possible parents in law. In, Lind, Craig, Keating, Heather and Bridgeman, Jo (eds.) Taking Responsibility: Law and the Changing Family. (Family Law) Aldershot, GB. Ashgate Publishing, pp. 201-220.

Record type: Book Section

Abstract

Contributing authors were asked to consider three interrelated questions regarding family and responsibility in light of changing family arrangements: ‘When do these relationships become ‘familial’? When is family responsibility acquired? When does that responsibility become legal responsibility?’ In this chapter I address these questions by focusing on the ascription of legal parent status in light of recent changes brought about under the auspices of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (HFEA 2008).

The first two questions will be addressed briefly at the outset. The main focus of the chapter lies with the deliberation of the final question; by examining the provisions of the HFEA 2008 I outline the now possible – and crucially, the remaining impossible – legal parents in current Anglo-Welsh law (with the attendant allocated legal responsibilities or denial thereof).

This analysis traces the (in)consistency and limitations of legal imagination regarding potential parents and responsibility, illustrating that the once unimaginable has (in many instances, but not all) now become possible, and questions what this might mean in the future.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 10 January 2011
Keywords: legal parent, responsibility, parental responsibility, parenthood, human fertilisation and embryology act 2008, legal imagination, HFEA 2008, assisted reproductive technologies, ARTs, mother, father, genetic, surrogacy, adoption, birth certificate, birth, intention, civil partnership, same-sex, inequality, marriage, co-mother, egg donor, kinship, single person

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 160533
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/160533
ISBN: 9781409402022
PURE UUID: 2053fd39-b0a4-4804-bcab-84508b793cf5

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 15 Jul 2010 14:47
Last modified: 11 Dec 2023 17:40

Export record

Contributors

Author: Caroline Jones
Editor: Craig Lind
Editor: Heather Keating
Editor: Jo Bridgeman

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×