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Dr Andrew Gilbert considers question of parenthood in "DIY" artificial insemination

Published: 24 January 2018 at 12:23

Andrew Gilbert

ARU Law academic's paper accepted for Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA) Conference

Dr Andrew Gilbert's paper 'Does the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 apply to unlicensed artificial insemination' has been accepted for presentation at this year's Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA) Conference.

The paper considers whether "DIY" artificial insemination falls within the ambit of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (HFEA), being the primary legislation setting out who is to be treated as the parents of a child who is conceived using artificial insemination.

The question posed by Andrew's paper was one that was assumed to be resolved, but was brought into question following comments by Peter Jackson J in the case of M v F and H (Legal Paternity) [2013] EWHC 1901 (Fam). This case considered whether a child was conceived by artificial insemination or by natural intercourse - the question of whether HFEA applies to unlicensed artificial insemination was considered as an ancillary issue.

The SLSA's annual conference is to be held in Bristol in March this year. It is a key event for academics in the area of socio-legal studies to share their knowledge and learning.