Submitted on Monday 9th January 2017
Published on Wednesday 11th January 2017
Current status: Closed
Closed: Tuesday 2nd May 2017
Signatures: 11
Amend the Children Act to allow courts the power to change birth certificates
The government should draft an amendment to the law to allow courts power under the Children Act 1989 to decide in exceptional circumstances if it is in the long term interests of the child to change the child's surname on the birth certificate to reflect a new surname ordered by the courts.
The law allows a facility for one parent to remove the wrong fathers details from the birth certificate and re-register the birth to include the natural fathers details.
A court can order that a child is to be known by a new surname, but has no power to decide whether that new surname should be reflected on the birth certificate. The other parent's permission is needed for such a change, if this is not gained the wrong father's surname will remain on the entry indefinitely requiring a deed poll.
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3.145.15.1 Mon, 06 May 2024 07:19:51 +0100
