Surrogacy is the practice of a person (the “surrogate”) carrying a child that may, or may not, be genetically related to them and giving birth to the child for another family (the “intended parents”). With the rise of modern family structures, and the demands that modern life places upon those who wish to have children, surrogacy has become a viable option for people unable to carry children or wish to have children at a later time in life. However, it is unclear if the laws and regulations surrounding surrogacy have responded adequately to its rise.

In this episode, Elysia interviews Professor Amel Alghrani, a Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Oxford and a full-time Professor of Law at the School of Law and Social Justice at the University of Liverpool. Professor Alghrani is an expert particularly in health law, where she focuses on the regulation of reproduction and assisted reproduction including surrogacy, and in education law, where she focuses on healthcare and educational rights of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Her work has been published in many prolific journals such as the Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Child and Family Law Quarterly and more, and has been cited by the UK Supreme Court.

Publications referenced/drawn from:

Alghrani, A., & Griffiths, D. (2017). The regulation of surrogacy in the United Kingdom: the case for reform (Version 2). University of Sussex. https://hdl.handle.net/10779/uos.23445044.v2

Griffiths, D., Alghrani, A., Diduck, A. (Ed.), Peleg, N. (Ed.), & Reece, H. (Ed.) (2014). Surrogacy Law: From Piecemeal Tweaks to Sustained Review and Reform. In Law and Michael Freeman (1 ed., Vol. 1). Brill .

Alghrani A. SURROGACY: 'A CAUTIONARY TALE': Re T (a child) (surrogacy: residence order) [2011] EWCH 33 (Fam). Med Law Rev. 2012 Autumn;20(4):631-41. doi: 10.1093/medlaw/fws032. Epub 2012 Oct 24. PMID: 23097458.