Related Publications
- ART and Adoption - Final Report
- Assisted Reproductive Technology and Adoption: Final Report Summary
- Assisted Reproductive Technology and Adoption: Position Paper One - Access
- Assisted Reproductive Technology and Adoption: Newsletter
- Assisted Reproductive Technology & Adoption: Position Paper Three - Surrogacy
- Assisted Reproductive Technology & Adoption: Consultation Paper
- Assisted Reproductive Technology & Adoption: Position Paper Two - Parentage
- Outcomes for Children Born of ART in a Diverse Range of Families: Occasional Paper
- The Convention on the Rights of the Child: Occasional Paper
VLRC releases consultation paper on access to ART and adoption
The Victorian Law Reform Commission today released a comprehensive Consultation Paper for its review of the eligibility criteria for access to assisted reproductive technology (“ART”) and adoption.
‘Under the terms of reference for this inquiry, the Commission is required to consider Victorian laws which control who is allowed to have access to infertility treatment or adopt children’ explained Professor Neave, Chairperson of the Commission. ‘Courts have found that some parts of the Infertility Treatment Act are overridden by federal anti-discrimination law. The resulting confusions and inconsistencies in the way the legislation operates, need to be corrected. It is also important that the laws regulating infertility treatment keep up with technological changes’.
In its 1998 report Same Sex Relationships and the Law the Equal Opportunity Commission of Victoria said that access to ART and adoption by people in same sex relationships was a matter requiring further consideration. These and many other issues are discussed in the Consultation Paper. The Consultation Paper includes a number of case studies, some of which highlight the confusing anomalies that can arise under the current legislation.
‘The issues considered in the paper are important for children born as a result of infertility treatment, for people seeking help for their infertility and for those who provide it, as well as for the community as a whole’ said Professor Neave. ‘During our consultations the Commission hopes to hear from the widest possible range of individuals and organisations.’
As well as encouraging people to make submissions, the Commission will organise meetings and forums in which people can discuss these issues. It intends to release a more detailed Options Paper in the second half of 2004 for further public comment prior to making final recommendations in 2005.
The paper is available at www.lawreform.vic.gov.au or by contacting the Commission on 8619-8619. The Commission will accept submissions in response to the Consultation Paper until 30th June 2004.