In celebration of the Children and Civil Status Reform Package coming force, a celebratory party for LGBTQ+ families will take place this week.
Kaye Nicholson (pictured) from Liberate commented: “I am delighted that after nearly a decade of campaigning, the rights of same sex parents are going to be enacted in law. This celebration is an opportunity for the many people who have been involved in this process to recognise this significant achievement and, most importantly, for the children of same sex parents to celebrate having equity with their peers.”
The main changes are:
- Same sex couples and those having children through fertility treatment will now both be named on their children’s birth certificates.
- Thanks to the work of local family judges and the Superintendent Registrar Claire Follain, there will be free re-registration of birth certificates of children born before the 24 th of November 2025.
- Parental Responsibility agreements for step-parents
- Parental Orders for altruistic surrogacy agreements
- Abolition of the concept of illegitimacy and the term ‘bâtard’ in relation to child and civil law (previous changes affecting wills have previously been updated).
Deputy Louise Doublet commented: “This is an opportunity to acknowledge the patience of all the families who haven’t been able to access these rights for their children while we have been working hard and fighting for them. This has been one of the largest legislation projects ever achieved in Jersey and we are the first of the Channel Islands to do so. I am also most proud that we have managed to achieve a law that is retrospective, which means children already born can access their rights.”
Advocate Corbett said: “We are so very pleased that this ground-breaking law is now in force. Initiated by the Jersey Law Commission and supported by Deputy Louise Doublet through the States and thanks to Kaye Nicholson’s tireless campaigning.”
Marisa Allman, a preeminent Family Barrister at 36 Family Chambers, who wrote the consultation paper for the law commission said: “This is such a long awaited and lovely moment of positivity for families. I’m so glad it finally came to fruition.”
Picture Credit: Jersey Community Relations Trust
