parental responsibility

Rethinking fatherhood and parental responsibility: Re J, Re M and Re P (Parental Responsibility) [2026] EWCA Civ 344

9 April 2026 by

By Emily Higlett and Sophia Pascoe

Introduction 

The Court of Appeal in Re J, Re M and Re P (Parental Responsibility) [2026] EWCA Civ 344 has provided authoritative guidance on a fundamental question in family law: whether a person who is not a child’s biological father can acquire parental responsibility by being named on the birth certificate. The court firmly answered that question in the negative, clarifying the meaning of “father” under the Children Act 1989 and resolving a line of inconsistent first instance decisions. 


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