Surrogacy Act 2022

• Jurisdiction: Northern Territory
• Year: 2022
• Type of Document: Acts

NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA

SURROGACY ACT 2022

As in force at 21 December 2022

Table of provisions

Part 1 Preliminary matters

1 Short title ......................................................................................... 1

2 Commencement .............................................................................. 1

3 Definitions ........................................................................................ 1

4 Purposes of Act ............................................................................... 2

5 Best interests of child ...................................................................... 3

6 Guiding principles ............................................................................ 3

7 Administration and operation ........................................................... 3

8 Application of Criminal Code ........................................................... 3

9 Relationship with Status of Children Act 1978 ................................. 3

10 Rights of surrogate mother to manage pregnancy and birth ............ 4

Part 2 Regulation of surrogacy arrangements

Division 1 Enforceability and reasonable costs

11 Enforceability ................................................................................... 4

12 Reasonable costs ............................................................................ 4

Division 2 Requirements for surrogacy arrangement

13 Purpose of Division .......................................................................... 5

14 Form of surrogacy arrangement ...................................................... 5

15 Timing of surrogacy arrangement .................................................... 5

16 Parties to surrogacy arrangement ................................................... 6

17 Requirements for surrogate mother ................................................. 6

18 Requirements for intended parent ................................................... 6

19 Reason for surrogacy arrangement ................................................. 6

20 Legal advice .................................................................................... 7

21 Legal certificate ............................................................................... 7

22 Counselling before entering into surrogacy arrangement ................ 8

23 Counselling after birth of child ......................................................... 8

24 Report for Local Court ..................................................................... 9

25 Requirements related to counsellors ............................................. 10

Part 3 Parentage orders

Division 1 Application for parentage order

26 Application for parentage order ..................................................... 10

Surrogacy Act 2022 ii

27 Residence of child ......................................................................... 11

28 Contents of application .................................................................. 11

29 Separate legal representation of child ........................................... 11

30 Multiple children ............................................................................. 12

Division 2 Making parentage order

31 Purpose of parentage order ........................................................... 12

32 Consent ......................................................................................... 12

33 Residence of each applicant .......................................................... 13

34 Making parentage order ................................................................ 14

35 Contents of parentage order .......................................................... 15

36 Child's names ................................................................................ 15

Division 3 Effect of parentage order

37 Effect of parentage order ............................................................... 15

38 Duty of trustee and personal representative .................................. 16

39 Sexual offence – familial relationship ............................................ 16

Division 4 Revocation of parentage order

40 Application to revoke parentage order ........................................... 17

41 Revocation of parentage order ...................................................... 17

42 Effect of revocation of parentage order ......................................... 18

Division 5 Procedural and other matters

43 Procedure for applications ............................................................. 18

44 Closed proceedings ....................................................................... 18

45 Appeals.......................................................................................... 19

46 Notice to Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages ...................... 19

47 Access to court records ................................................................. 20

Part 4 Offences

48 Offering or making commercial surrogacy arrangement ................ 21

49 Offering or providing assistance to enter into surrogacy

arrangement .................................................................................. 21

50 Advertising commercial surrogacy arrangement ............................ 22

51 Fertility services for commercial surrogacy arrangement .............. 22

52 Offence to publish identifying information ...................................... 23

53 Offence to disclose certain information .......................................... 24

54 Prosecutions .................................................................................. 25

Part 5 Miscellaneous

55 Regulations .................................................................................... 25

56 Review of Act ................................................................................. 25