John Vater QC in Re E concerning parental responsibility and artificial reproduction

John Vater QC appeared for the father in this case involving home donation of sperm. The mother was a homosexual woman and had met the father on a website called coparentmatch.com. A child was born to the parties in 2010. Contact agreements broke down after the father began to present himself and the mother as though they were in a heterosexual relationship.

The father applied for contact and a parental responsibility order.

Hayden J made important observations about parental responsibility in artificial reproduction cases. He concluded his judgment with a plea for the word ‘donor’ to be expunged from the ‘lexicon of family law.’