Birth mother the only mother in Japanese law
Publish date: 01 June 2005
Issue Number: 1347
Diary: Legalbrief Today
Category: Corruption
An Osaka High Court has ruled that in Japan a woman who gives birth to a child is acknowledged as the child\'s mother and that there should be no exception to the rule, even taking into consideration the development of assisted reproductive technologies in recent years.
The court dismissed an appeal by a couple that the twin babies they had via an American surrogate mother be registered in Japan as their children, reports The Japan Times. The contract for such surrogate births violates public order and morals and is invalid, as it could cause a serious feud over the child, the judge ruled. The judge said the rule on parentage was valid as it provided objective criteria to clarify the legal relationship between child and mother. Full report in The Japan Times
