Programme: HERE

Booklet: HERE

This conference is part of a wider project that examines the existing rules criminalising actions relating to surrogacy in more than 25 jurisdictions from five continents. Ethical concerns about surrogacy have given rise to increasing calls to ban the practice and criminalise actors involved in it, including surrogates, intended parents and agencies, as well as medical and legal practitioners. This is in stark contrast, however, to the jurisprudence of many higher courts, including the European Court of Human Rights, which prioritises the best interests of the existing child.

This project examines in particular the efficacy of criminalising surrogacy in light of its express aim of preventing its practice. Preliminary findings suggest that, not only are there very few prosecutions (if any), citizens of countries with prohibitions on surrogacy merely go elsewhere to become parents in that way. Any ethical concerns, therefore, simply materialise in other jurisdictions.

Speakers and Chairs
Ms Molly O’Donoghue (Brodies LLP Solicitors, UK)
Mr Azan Marwah (Pantheon Chambers, Hong Kong and 36 Group, London, UK)
Prof Esther Farnós Amorós (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain)
Prof Raquel Montaner Fernández (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain)
Prof Rute Teixeira Pedro (University of Porto, Portugal)
Mr Joshua Baker (Prince’s Chambers, Hong Kong)
Prof Lene Wacher Lentz (Aalborg University, Denmark)
Dr Salla Silvola (University of Helsinki, Finland)
Prof Katja Karjalainen (University of Lapland, Finland)
Mr Jonathan Mok (Karas So LLP in Association with Mishcon de Reya, Hong Kong)
Dr Laureen Hu (Utrecht University, Netherlands)
Dr Nishat Hyder-Rahman (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium)
Dr Zaina Mahmoud (University of Liverpool, UK)
Prof Nick Hopkins (Law Commissioner, UK)
Mr Spencer Clarke (Law Commission, UK)
Mr Tim Parker (Temple Chambers, Hong Kong and Blackstone Chambers, UK)
Dr Claire O’Connell (LGBT Ireland)
Dr Marco Poli (University of Turin, Italy)
Ms Gladys Mirugi-Mukundi (University of the Western Cape, South Africa)
Prof Maria Usang Assim (University of the Western Cape, South Africa)
Prof Julia Sloth Nielsen (University of the Western Cape, South Africa)
Ms Joanne Brown (Tanner de Witt Solicitors, Hong Kong)
Ms Sanskriti Sanghi (Independent researcher, London)
Mr Shaati Chandramour (Thammasat University, Thailand)
Ms Lisa Wong (Charles Russell Speechlys LLP, Hong Kong)
Prof Daisy Cheung (The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)
Ms Yuxin Tian (University of Tokyo, Tokyo)
Ms Hillary Chua (National University of Singapore, Singapore)
Dr Kuek Chee Ying (University of Malaya, Malaysia)
Prof Courtney Joslin (University of California, USA)
Prof Claire Fenton-Glynn (the University of Monash, Australia)
Prof Debra Wilson (University of Canterbury, New Zealand)
Prof Jens M. Scherpe (Aalborg University, Denmark)

Organisers:
Aalborg University
Centre for Medical Ethics and Law (CMEL), The University of Hong Kong