Determining who a child’s parents are is an important part of family law. Parentage is the foundation of many aspects of a child’s identity, such as family name and relationships, nationality, and cultural heritage. Parentage can also determine important legal rights and obligations, such as a child’s inheritance rights.

When the Family Law Act came into force it gave British Columbia its first comprehensive legislative framework for the law of parentage. The goals this legislation included treating children equally — no matter whether they were born through natural or assisted reproduction, protecting children’s best interests, and promoting
family stability.

BCLI is carrying out a project to examine whether the Family Law Act is meeting these goals, in light of developments that have taken place in the law, society, and reproductive technology since the advent of the Family Law Act. The project is slated to run until December 2022. Its goal is to produce a final report, with recommendations for legislative reform. The project was made possible by the support of the Justice Services Branch, Ministry of Attorney General for British Columbia.

For more information on the project, please visit bcli.org.