Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Justice
Give fathers a right to be added to birth certificates if proven by a DNA test
Closed
33 signatures
What the petition asks
Currently fathers only hold parental responsibility if they are married to the mother or named on the birth certificate. I would like Government to give fathers the right, if a DNA test has been completed and there are no welfare reasons, to be added to the birth certificate without a court case.
The baby is genetically 50/50, and we believe it should not be up to the mother to agree whether a father is added to the birth certificate.
If a mother doesn't agree to reregister a birth certificate, a father needs to get a Declaration of Parentage from the courts, which can be time consuming and costly. We want fathers to have the right to be added to the birth certificate without a court case, if a DNA test has been completed and there are no welfare reasons.
If a mother doesn't agree to reregister a birth certificate, a father needs to get a Declaration of Parentage from the courts, which can be time consuming and costly. We want fathers to have the right to be added to the birth certificate without a court case, if a DNA test has been completed and there are no welfare reasons.
Timeline
| 12 Jan 2023 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 12 Jul 2023 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
33
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
12 Jan 2023
Closed
12 Jul 2023
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.