SURROGACY: BORN FOR ANOTHER - Queensland Parliament

75 Pages·1998·0.25 MB·English

by  Glenda Emmerson

ELECTRONIC VERSION
SURROGACY: BORN FOR ANOTHER
RESEARCH BULLETIN NO 8/96
GLENDA EMMERSON
YRAR BYIRLATNEMAIL RDANPALSNEEUQ
noitc esSecruos ed RnsanoitacilbuP
ENABSIRB
6r9e9b1metpeS
ISSN 1324-860X
ISBN 0 7242 7342 5
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dnalsnee u,Qsecruo s se&nRoitacilb u,Protcer i: Dodtesserd dedabluo hsseiriuqnI
.enabsi r,Bteer teSgro e,Gesu otHnemailr a,Pyrarb iyLratnemailraP
y :rsraMoMtceriD .deirfeeS
ABSTRACT
Surrogacy entails a woman agreeing to bear a child, which is then transferred to
other persons. Undeniably, it is a contentious issue. Although surrogacy has
occurred throughout history, the issue is currently firmly on the public agenda.
Most recently, this can be attributed to the birth of the first “legal surrogate baby”
in Canberra in August 1996. Prior to this event, surrogacy had already returned
to the public agenda due to a combination of factors, including reports of
surrogacies occurring (in Queensland and elsewhere), increases in infertility,
reductions in the number of children available for adoption and the advent of IVF
technology.
This Research Bulletin examines the status of surrogacy agreements in Australia.
Specifically, a review of state and territory surrogacy legislation is undertaken.
Relevant common law provisions are also discussed. Uncertainty in the law
relating to surrogacy arrangements is found to exist. Arguments for and against
the practice of surrogacy are presented and policy options are reviewed.

CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION................................ ................................ ........................... 1
1.1 D F ONOITINIFE S URROGACY ................................ ................................ .. 4
1.2 T F OSEPY S URROGACY ................................ ................................ .......... 5
2. HISTORY OF SURROGACY................................ ................................ ........ 6
3. THE ISSUES................................ ................................ ................................ .... 9
3.1 B DNUORGKCA ................................ ................................ ....................... 9
3.2 S URROGACY W: YH N OW ? ................................ ................................ ... 12
3.3 T EH P F OECITCAR S URROGACY ................................ ............................ 14
3.4 S ETAGORRU M SREHTO W: ER AOH T YEH ? ................................ ............ 17
3.5 A S VNOITPOD S URROGACY ................................ ................................ .. 18
3.6 P CILBU O NOINIP ................................ ................................ .................. 19
4. ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST SURROGACY................................ 22
4.1 A STNEMUGR A TSNIAG S URROGACY ................................ ..................... 22
4.2 A RO FSTNEMUGR S URROGACY ................................ ............................ 31
5. LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT IN AUSTRALIA................................ ............. 34
5.1 C OMMON L AW ................................ ................................ .................... 34
5.2 A NAILARTSU S DN AETAT T YROTIRRE L NOITALSIGE .............................. 36
5.3 S F OSUTAT C NERDLIH L NOITALSIGE ................................ ..................... 46
5.4 A NOITPOD , C DN AYDOTSU G PIHSNAIDRAU ................................ .......... 48
6. SOME OVERSEAS RESPONSES................................ ............................... 49
7. OPTIONS FOR REFORM................................ ................................ ........... 49
7.1 U YTIMROFIN ................................ ................................ ....................... 50
7.2 P F ONOITIBIHOR S URROGACY ................................ .............................. 51
7.3 R GNITALUGE S URROGACY A STNEMEGNARR ................................ ........ 52
7.4 O NEP A NOITPOD ................................ ................................ .................. 55
7.5 E SISENEGOTC ................................ ................................ ...................... 56
7.6 C GNILLESNUO ................................ ................................ ..................... 57
8. CONCLUSION................................ ................................ .............................. 58
BIBLIOGRAPHY................................ ................................ ............................. 59
APPENDIX A................................ ................................ ................................ .... 67
APPENDIX B................................ ................................ ................................ .... 69

Surrogacy: Born for Another Page 1
1. INTRODUCTION
“Sex and reproduction remain contentious and politically charged topics in
contemporary…society.” 1 ,ycagorruS hcihw seidobme htob ,stpecnoc si a
ylralucitrap suoitnetnoc .eussi nI tsuguA ,6991 ti saw detroper taht“ Australia’s
first legal surrogate baby ” da hne enbr.oab rnriebnaC 2 sihT ,ht r,irbevewoh siton
eht tsrif nnw aoeintlkaagr ot.rsdruluAishc eci lnAamkriK saw nrob ni airotciVni
8891 dima a mrots fo .aniodietmnett a ycagor rysuliStner rnuoc eh tcilabdunpega
esuac efbo e ste nhsethcterr i dbsntaro pg enfrsiohdtnreipbmi 3 , dna o selsauacebna
gnisaercni rebmun fo elpoep era gninrut ot ycagorrus ot sserdda rieht.ytilitrefni
erehT si a detrope resaercni ni ytilitrefni ni .yteicos sihT rotcaf denibmoc htiwa
gnin irlecbemdun fo n eerldblailhica vrao fnoitpod adna eht tnevdas efiogolonhcet
hcus sa FVI evah desaercni ssenerawa dna tseretni ni ycagorrus sa a snaemrof
.stner aepmoc eosbtelpu oeclitrefni
Moreover, ycagorrus osla stcartta a taerg laed fo noitnetta esuaceb fo ehtlufrewop
. dmeskiol voeb mhy ts no eoBehig tt afaee momllfiorpio tou tnnfoeraischentfanrit
a ,ylimaf dna taht fo eht ytpme dna das smra fo ag ntienhtasatigcuouqrlnreiurlser
,rehtom rednegne eht msilobmys fo.doohrehtom 4 esehT segami nac ekoverehtie
support for, or abhorrence of, .ycagorrus ehT ecitcarp fo ycagorrus sllacotni
la tsnneoeuimstas sdi :enf guuoyn qftined oiuei clht,octidsnn oiifofoherddenhatom
e ryolmlaren eeght elor fo nemow ni ;yteico seht sutats dnnoaitinif efdo a;ylimaf
.dli hdc nraeht a,freht onmeewt epbihsnoital eer hdtna

1 D R we if,vozelRa‘V Children of Choice: Freedom and the New Reproductive Technologies,
rohtuA J A ,nostreboR notecnirP ytisrevinU ,sserP Princeton, NJ’, High Technology Law
Review [On-line serial], vol 1, 201, Spring 1995.
:etiS http:// /sweiver/JLTH/ude.yelekreb.revres dvalzrvw.html, 27 April 1996.
2 ‘Legal dilemma born with surrogate birth’, Courier Mail, 10 August 1996, p 10.
3 S ,rehaM sretsiS‘ ot evah etagorrus ,’ebab Sunday Mail, 11 August 1996, p 2.
4 lanoitaN scihteoiB evitatlusnoC eettimmoC ,]CCBN[ Surrogacy: Report 1 (Chairperson:
sM nybo R Layton), Canberra, April 1990, p 11.
Page 2 Surrogacy: Born for Another
hs ca“sums reevtit odnmeiebirc syeldsuoi rysacivagorruS rent a womb” 5 or, on the
rehto ,dnah“ gift of love ” ro“ gift of life” 6 gnidneped no eht ralucitrap.tniopweiv
,sseldrageR seicagorrus era a “... source of considerable legal, moral and ethical
debate both in Australia and overseas”. 7 esuaceB fo eht tnadnettaytniatrecnu
,se ues ssteiuhotba dae“redisn osycicagorrus legal and ethical minefield”. 8
rdee ins loAerinatoene mfo senhotsaer yc aygl otsrnir eunrsoru c echaitdlnbeugpa
si esuaceb fo gnisaer csneiitluciffid htiw .noitpoda noitpodA sah syawla neeba
laitnetop snaem rof na elitrefni elpuoc ot emoceb .stnerap ehT ecnatpeccafo
s et sa niheo nthi ngttsoopa ico n tedno yaraairlmtoirpfmooaff lan odilntaaaitcsoesg
stnenopmoc fo gnirehtom nac eb detarapes d ndaehsilpmocc ayb tneref.fsindosrep
tuB eh tssecorp f ognitpoda a dlihc si ,gnol ,eegmvniiitsmnues pndxonecayllagel
.suoudra ,revoeroM eht rebmun fo nerdlihc elbaliava rof noitpoda ninretseW
seiteicos si .gninilced sihT ,rotcaf denibmoc htiw sesaercni ni ytilitrefni nieht
,noitalupop evah decrof emos elitrefni selpuoc ot kool rof ,sevitanretla hcussa
.ycagorrus
ehT ecitcarp fo ycagorrus sah derrucco rof ,seirutne cgnivlovni lauxes,esruocretni
tub a wen rotcaf sah deretne eht ycagorrus etabed - secnavda nievitcudorper
,no i n,toinar o nt .idiilstnmvaeaaei isscn gin i ieoli ofdlieviuotsitlnrevrchehancfTiet
etemag noitanod dna oyrbme .refsnart ehT wen evitcudorper seigolonhcetevah
dewolla ynam stnerap ot evah ,nerdlihc erehw yeht dluow ton evah neeb elbaot
.esiwrehto nI emos sesac eseht serudecorp nac osla elbane a etagorrus ot yrraceht
citeneg dlihc fo rehton a.elpuoc nA oyrbme si demrof morf na elitrefsn’inamow
gge dna r esh’ren tmrraepps d ndaetnal pomtini e hetta g.orrerhutsom eheTlitrefni
s’elpuoc nwo citeneg dlihc si decudorp sa a tluser tub ni rehtona s’namow.bmow
n Ael ist’reelf pneuiroicsed ot evah rieht nwo citen edglihc nac eb yrev gnortsdna
.gnillepmoc

5 G Lloyd, ‘Birth rights and wrongs’, Courier Mail, 6 March 1996, p 17. Where the surrogate
seod ton edivorp citeneg lairetam ot eht ,dlihc eht ssecorp sah neeb debircsed sa-a-tner“
.”bmow eeS :oslaR seliG( ,)de For & Against: An Anthology of Public Issues in Australia,
2nd ed, Jacaranda, Brisbane, 1993, p 290.
6 ,CCBN Surrogacy: Report 1, p 11.
7 A Stuhmcke, ‘Surrogate motherhood: The legal position in Australia’, Journal of Law and
Medicine , ,)2(2 rebmevoN ,4991 pp 421-611 p(.)711
8 T CsAn‘e p yo, a’ewst hartgorofirbrus Courier Mail, 5 March 1996, p 3.
Surrogacy: Born for Another Page 3
ereh Tsi o nt b suteo alde h pvottuihooewncc nnaa ocdcli hnsrc asetcefarfeturssgid
dna .ssol hguohtlA emos elpoep dloh eht noinipo tsashetnsse lddlluiohhcs toneb
deredisnoc a esaesid ro ,enutro fyshitmrow foyhtapmys 9 , ynam sreh teoveilebtaht
ytilitrefni si a suoires dna gnol-efil .ytilibasid nI tnecer ,sedacedelbaredisnoc
secruoser evah neeb detacolla ot hcraeser otni gnitneverp dna gniruc.ytilitrefni
ynaM smargorp evah deveihca taerg ,sseccus hguohtla sseccus tonnac eb
guaranteed.
etagorruS doohrehtom si ylgnisaercni gnieb nees sa na noisnetxe fo ehtlacinilc
tnemtaert rof .ytilitrefni eroferehT ycagorrus si deredisnoc na noitpo rofelitrefni
selp u eoo ertcgronolifpmex obeoc tsm rhetti w enhotit ofno n tegornndilvfiaohhc
rieht.nwo 01 ,revewoH eht ytinummoc si dedivid no rehtehw siht ,noituloshcihw
.elbarise dr odila vs i,sreht of osevi leh tn oyllaitnatsbu ssegnipmi
esuaceB gnicnavda evitcudorper ,seigolonhcet gnidulcni ycagorrus yb oyrbme
,noitatnalpmi liatne serudecorp dna semoctuo ylsuoiverp detaicossanu htiw
,doohtnerap yeht yfed lanoitidart laicos seiradnuob dna lagel .noitasirogetac
deriu qmerro feevritalsi g eeghlntippirts t euyrogaolonh ceevtitcudor psneeircnavdA
.segna h fcdoair yem hhtt ilwa eodt
noi td an ylaelsstia n gcwedeaunllqu eoe srhdrnatleorfCof windi eht yaw ycagorrus
si .detaluger emoS snoitcidsiruj nab ,ycagorrus elihw srehto wolla ,tigniyolpme
suoirav sdradnats ot enimreted latnerap .sutats nI ,1991 eht nailartsuA htlaeHdna
laic oeSr asfrleetW sdientipModa a noitulo stearht setats dsneairo tdilruroehtsssap
mrofinu noitalsigel htiw drager ot .ycagorrus 11 revewoH eht tnemtcane fohcus
noitalsigel sah ton tey neeb ,deveihca gnitluser ni mrofinu-non cilbup ycilop
. atiuloahrgtusourAht 21

9 J ,dnomyaR Women as Wombs: Reproductive Technologies and the Battle over Women’s
Freedom, Spinifex, Melbourne, 1995, p 153.
01 M ,ttiggeM snosseL‘ ot eb tnrael ni slellarap neewteb noitpoda dna ,’ycagorrus Policy Issues
Forum, April 1991, pp 7-13.
11 Australian Capital Territory, Attorney General’s Department, Discussion Paper: Surrogacy
Agreements in the ACT , rebot c,O3991 p.8
21 Stuhmcke, ‘Surrogate Motherhood’, 1994, p 116.
Page 4 Surrogacy: Born for Another
1.1 DEFINITION OF SURROGACY
gnidroccA ot dranreB ,snekciD rosseforP fo waL ta eht ytisrevinU fo ,otnoroTna
t o onyde htta h stsitnemegnar rdaoohreht oemtagorr ugsnisserd d nayitluciff ildaitini
mrofnoc ot elbatciderp snrettap fo ,ruoivaheb dna on lagel egaugnal stsixe ot
.etae ryce htta hstpihsnoital elraic ods nnaam ueh hetbircsed 31
denif endoissimm omCrof ewR asLel ahWtu owS eeNhT ycsaagorrus
…an arrangement whereby a woman agrees to become pregnant and to bear a
child for another person or persons to whom she will transfer custody at or
shortly after birth. 41
ehT mret surrogate dlu odce reebd i. sraneomco n,ss inmoit cnaia dinslIiarrutjsuA
namow gnivig htrib ot a dlihc si demeed ro demuserp ot eb eht.rehtom 51 ehT
Macquarie Dictionary senifed surrogate sa a substitute , os ti si deugra tahta
namow dluoc ton eb eht etagorrus rehtom fo eht dlihc ehs sah.enrob 61 tI dluoceb
deredisnoc taht eht namow ohw sekat revo eht elor fo dlihc gniraer si yllautcaeht
surrogate mother . htebazilE ,enaK na nacir eemtAagorru srehtom sreferp ehtesu
fo eht mret etagorrus ,efiw ylralucitrap ni sesac fo laitrap ,ycagorrus sa ehs sieht
dlnaacigoloib lanoitatse g.rehtom ehS osla seugra taht eht mret surrogate mother
dluohs eb desu ot refer ot eht laicos rehtom sa ehs si ni tcaf ehtetutitsbus‘
.’rehtom 71 ,s seleh terhetveN waL s n’monriootifisensRiifm emfdooC ycagorrussi

31 B ,snekciD etagorruS ‘:doohrehtoM lageL dna evitalsigeLseussI ’, in A yksnuliM & GsannA
,)sde( Genetics and the Law III, Plenum Press, New York, 1985, pp 183-214.
41 weN htuoS selaW waL mrofeR ,noissimmoC Artificial Conception - Discussion Paper 3:
Surrogate Motherhood, ,CRLWSN PD(,)81 ,yendyS ,8891p 6. A similar definition is
presented in NBCC, Surrogacy: Report 1, p 3.
51 Presumption of parentage legislation determines who is a child’s mother and father. See
noitces 3.4 rof a re l.lnuofissucsid eeS osla neraK ,drofpmaS Parentage Presumptions and the
Status of Children Bill 1995, Legislation Bulletin 1/95, Queensland Parliamentary Library,
Brisbane 1995.
61 Stuhmcke, ‘Surrogate Motherhood’, 1994, p 116; For a criticism of the language used in
fsonoissucsid e ,eJyscagorrus Wright, ‘Wombs for rent’, Australian Left Review, 1990, 116, p
;21 J ,dnomyaR Women as Wombs, 1995, pp ;041-931 dna J ,dnomyaR nemoW‘ sa,’sbmow
Ms , enuJ/y a,M1991p 33.
71 Meggitt, Policy Issues Forum, 1991, p 8.