Children's right to know their origins - too far, too fast?

Abstract

This review looks at the way in which children¿s rights to know the identity of their biological parents have developed over the last 15 years. Although human rights law establishes that a child has the right to know the identity of his parents, this right is not an absolute one. The UK¿s international obligations require no more than the establishment of procedures providing for the rights of the various parties to be balanced against each other in a fair and proportionate manner. The author expresses concern that the concept of a child¿s right to know their origins is being taken too far and too fast. While agreeing that adopted children may benefit from information about their biological parents, she questions whether it is appropriate to assume that this is true for all groups. The review concludes that full legal acknowledgement of all children¿s right to know their origins could lead to laws involving significant invasions of individual privacy.

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