Canadian province says child can have 2 moms
CANADA: A five-year-old Canadian boy can have two mothers and
a father, an Ontario court ruled this week in a landmark case that
redefines the meaning of family and examines the rights of parents in
same-sex relationships.
In a ruling released on Tuesday, the Ontario Court of Appeal said the
female partner of the child's biological mother could be legally
recognized as the boy's third parent.
The biological father, named on the boy's birth certificate, is a
friend of both women and is taking an active role in the child's life.
"It is contrary to (the child's) best interests that he is deprived
of the legal recognition of the parentage of one of his mothers,"
Justice Marc Rosenberg wrote in the ruling, which did not name the three
parents or the child.
"Perhaps one of the greatest fears faced by lesbian mothers is the
death of the birth mother... Without a declaration of parentage or some
other order, the surviving partner would be unable to make decisions for
their minor child."
The two women, who have been together since 1990, told the court they
did not want to adopt the child because it meant the father would lose
his status as a parent.
"It's an important precedent because the legislature has not kept the
legislation up to date," said Peter Jervis, one of the lawyers for the
applicant, referred to only as "A.A."
"The court has basically said that it would step in to recognize this
woman as the mother of her child ... and would treat her equally," said
Jervis.
He added that the court found the family to be a very loving one and
that A.A. had met all the criteria of being a loving mother.
Toronto, Thursday, Reuters |