UK Courts won't force man to become father with ex-wife

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6530295.stm

No, you can't have my baby. Not yours.

Ms Evans was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2001, but six of the couple's fertilised embryos were frozen and stored prior to her treatment.

But she and Mr Johnston, who lives in Gloucester, split up in 2002 and he wrote to the clinic asking for the embryos to be destroyed.
. . .
She has argued he had already consented to their creation, storage and use, and should not be allowed to change his mind.

Current UK laws require both the man and woman to give consent, and allows either party to withdraw that consent up to the point where the embryos are implanted.

This is pretty big line in the sand. In some ways, ruling against the guy would have almost been like saying once you're married, you no longer have rights to your sperm. If parenthood is such a serious thing, such an important thing, you have to allow for the fact that both parents should want to become parents. Otherwise, this guy would have been paying child support for a kid he didn't want with a woman he no longer wants to have a child with.

A woman's right to be a mother doesn't supersede a man's right not to be a father in situations like this.

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