This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition Automatic parental responsibility awarded to both parents from birth.
A child's mother in the UK is granted automatic parental responsibility from the birth of her child. A father must be married to assume these same privileges. As a father can only know if his child is his biological child by ways of a DNA test is it not time we equalise this privilege for all?
More details
It is time for the law to be adjusted to grant both parents automatic parental responsibility for the life/lives they choose to bring into our world. It is every parents responsibility and duty to raise, protect and provide for their children and this joint responsibility should be legally binding from the moment baby is separated at birth. No longer should a parent be able to restrict access to medical information about anothers persons child.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s not clear what the petition is asking the UK Government or Parliament to do.
Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action.
We understand that you are concerned about existing arrangements regarding parental responsibility, but as you note in your petition it is only possible for a father to know if a child is theirs following a DNA test, and it is therefore not clear in what circumstances you want the father to be granted parental responsibility.
You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.