Petition · past parliament

Automatic parental responsibility awarded to both parents from birth.

Rejected 11 signatures

What the petition asks

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?
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.

Why it was rejected

It was not clear what the petition asked 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.

Timeline

10 Jun 2022 Petition opened for signatures
15 Jun 2022 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 11
Status Rejected
Rejected 15 Jun 2022

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.