Equality and family rights changes to take effect

Constable Richard Vibert, Minister for Children and Families said it "must be a great relief for those involved"

Changes to equality and family rights in Jersey will come into force later this month, the government has announced.

The changes include joint birth registration for same-sex female and mixed-sex parents, new surrogacy guidance and abolition of the concept of illegitimacy.

The government said the change would come into place on 24 November, adding it marked "a major step forward" for equality and family rights.

Minister for Children and Families Richard Vibert said: "It's been some time coming for Jersey, we are behind other jurisdictions, behind the UK, but I'm really pleased for those families that we are finally there."

The government said the reforms recognised and supported modern family structures, allowing same-sex parents and parents who have children using fertility treatment, with donor sperm or surrogacy, to gain legal parental status.

It said previously, many of these parents faced barriers such as not being able to be named on their child's birth certificate, or needing to go through complex legal processes to be recognised as legal parents.

Also included are changes to parental orders for altruistic surrogacy arrangements for Jersey-born children and parental responsibility agreements for step-parents, allowing them to gain legal responsibility for their step-children with the agreement of the child's other parents.

Constable Vibert said he was "very pleased" to bring this through the assembly and to sign a ministerial order to bring it into effect.

"To not be recognised as parents is something that's extremely outdated, and, you know, there's a great sort of joy in being a parent and not to be recognised must be awful."