An Adelaide man, who was conceived with anonymous donor sperm, believes
the "donor-conceived community is perhaps the last group of
disenfranchised people" after a court ruled he cannot change his birth
certificate.
Damien Adams, 40, who wanted to have his father's name changed to "unknown" on his birth certificate, said the laws preventing the change were discriminatory and should be reviewed.
Mr Adams does not know who his biological father is and wants his birth certificate to be as honest as possible.
"So it wasn't just for me, it was also for my children and my descendants. So if anybody ever conducted genealogy in the future, that they wouldn't be led down the wrong path," Mr Adams said.
"So it's not about anything untoward, my dad who raised me who I love very much; it's just a matter of having something that is truthful and accurate."
Earlier this year a magistrate ruled she did not have the authority to make the change.
"I don't obviously hold anything against the magistrate; she can only do what she's entitled to do by law, but I find that it's highly discriminatory that everybody else in South Australian society is allowed to rebut paternity except donor conceived people."
The problem is a law in South Australia deems the husband of a woman who received the treatment as the legal father.
Mr Adams has conceded he has limited options left open to pursue the case.
"One is that I can try and appeal and take my case to a higher court, to see if they have the power to do what I am seeking. Although that is obviously going to be very cost prohibitive. Or the only other option is to try and seek a change in the legislation.
"I think that law is very anachronistic; it's part of the bygone era.
"When it was originally set up so that the man who was the husband of the wife or the partner couldn't shirk any responsibilities later on if he decided he didn't want anything to do with the child.
"But particularly as an adult myself of 40 years of age, there is none of that sort of welfare issue to be dealt with.
"It's a matter of not hiding or concealing the truth, because at the moment we basically enshrined deception into the law."
Mr Adams said governments needed to be doing more to address the problem.
Read more...
'This begs the question whether there should be a change in the law, to allow the ability to add the sperm donor or egg donor details as well as legal parents details. Or in the case of co-parenting, the ability to add three legal parents to the birth certificate, for example the two mums along with the biological father?' Pride Angel
Damien Adams, 40, who wanted to have his father's name changed to "unknown" on his birth certificate, said the laws preventing the change were discriminatory and should be reviewed.
Mr Adams does not know who his biological father is and wants his birth certificate to be as honest as possible.
"So it wasn't just for me, it was also for my children and my descendants. So if anybody ever conducted genealogy in the future, that they wouldn't be led down the wrong path," Mr Adams said.
"So it's not about anything untoward, my dad who raised me who I love very much; it's just a matter of having something that is truthful and accurate."
Earlier this year a magistrate ruled she did not have the authority to make the change.
"I don't obviously hold anything against the magistrate; she can only do what she's entitled to do by law, but I find that it's highly discriminatory that everybody else in South Australian society is allowed to rebut paternity except donor conceived people."
The problem is a law in South Australia deems the husband of a woman who received the treatment as the legal father.
Mr Adams has conceded he has limited options left open to pursue the case.
"One is that I can try and appeal and take my case to a higher court, to see if they have the power to do what I am seeking. Although that is obviously going to be very cost prohibitive. Or the only other option is to try and seek a change in the legislation.
"I think that law is very anachronistic; it's part of the bygone era.
"When it was originally set up so that the man who was the husband of the wife or the partner couldn't shirk any responsibilities later on if he decided he didn't want anything to do with the child.
"But particularly as an adult myself of 40 years of age, there is none of that sort of welfare issue to be dealt with.
"It's a matter of not hiding or concealing the truth, because at the moment we basically enshrined deception into the law."
Mr Adams said governments needed to be doing more to address the problem.
Read more...
'This begs the question whether there should be a change in the law, to allow the ability to add the sperm donor or egg donor details as well as legal parents details. Or in the case of co-parenting, the ability to add three legal parents to the birth certificate, for example the two mums along with the biological father?' Pride Angel
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