News & Commentary
Media and Thought Leadership
Louisa Ghevaert regularly represents individuals and couples in ground-breaking and landmark cases covered in the media and provides commentary on fertility and modern family law and policy issues.
Why we need root and branch fertility law reform – (BioNews, 25 November 2019)
Law Commission: reforming surrogacy law – (July/August 2019 edition of Resolution’s The Review Magazine)
Perspectives on The Law Commission and Surrogacy Law Reform – (Fertility Road Magazine, 25 July 2019)
Emily Hartridge: Life you just can’t plan for it – (Fertility Road Magazine, 17 July 2019)
NHS launches ditch first stop women left infertile having four surrogate babies (The Mail Online, 27 January 2019) (Louisa Ghevaert provided expert evidence in the case)
Woman sues NHS to pay for four surrogate babies after blunder left her infertile (The Mirror, 27 January 2019) (Louisa Ghevaert provided expert evidence in the case)
‘I want NHS to pay for four surrogate babies’ (The Times, 27 January 2019) (Louisa Ghevaert provided expert evidence in the case)
2018
In 2018, cutting-edge fertility and family law cases covered in the media and commentary by Louisa Ghevaert included: claims for fertility damages following medical negligence, IVF add-ons, posthumous conception and biological legacy, assisted reproduction and modern blended family law.
Woman left infertile after NHS failed to detect cancer for four years awarded £580k to cover surrogacy costs – (The Telegraph, 19 December 2018) (Louisa Ghevaert gave expert evidence in the case)
Couple who spent £20,000 on IVF treatment before shelling out another £7,000 on ‘add-ons to boost their chances of a baby’ become first in the UK to sue over the ‘worthless and unproven’ extras – (The Mail Online, 10 November 2018)
Was it legal to create a grandson with a dead man’s sperm? (The Times, 13 September 2018)
Rachael Bland’s fight to preserve her fertility is a battle fought by many modern women (Female First, 7 September 2018)
The significance of fertility: A landmark ruling on posthumous conception (BioNews, 3 September 2018)
Anything but child’s play: surrogacy and thorny issues of identity, parenthood and status in modern families (Family Law, 29 August 2018)
Posthumous conception: a legacy in life, incapacity and death (Family Law Week, 20 August 2018)
Doctors are given go ahead to extract sperm from unconscious man in legal first (The BMJ, 17 August 2018)
Sperm is extracted from brain-damaged dying man so wife can try to conceive after judge rules ‘he would have wanted it to happen’ – (The Mail Online, 13 July 2018) (Louisa Ghevaert was part of the wife’s legal team
Dying man with brain injury has sperm extracted in bid to allow wife to become pregnant – (The Independent, 13 July 2018) (Louisa Ghevaert was part of the wife’s legal team)
The Lawyer Hot 100 Career Quiz, featuring Louisa Ghevaert (The Lawyer, 27 February 2018)
2017
In 2017, ground-breaking fertility cases and thought leadership by Louisa Ghevaert included: surrogacy damages following medial negligence, growing demand for international surrogacy and 3 person IVF fertility treatment.
The award of damages to enable surrogacy (LexisNexis, 20 December 2017) (Louisa Ghevaert gave expert evidence in the case)
Claiming for the costs of a surrogacy arrangement: a new head of loss? (Family Law, 21 November 2017) (Louisa Ghevaert gave expert evidence in the case)
XX v Whittington Hospital NHS Trust [2017] EWHC 2318 QB (Jordan Publishing, 1 November 2017) (Louisa Ghevaert gave expert evidence in the c
XX v Whittington – Knowing when to return? (Provide Law, 17 October 2017) (Louisa Ghevaert gave expert evidence in the case)
The UK remains unmoved on commercial surrogacy (BioNews, 2 October 2017) (Louisa Ghevaert gave expert evidence in the case)
Surrogacy: the birth of a new head of loss (UK Healthcare Law Blog, 22 September 2017) (Louisa Ghevaert gave expert evidence in the case)
As demand for surrogacy soars, more countries are trying to ban it (The Economist featuring Louisa Ghevaert, 11 May 2017)
Couple’s delight as lesbian surrogates give them the child they longed for (The Telegraph featuring Louisa Ghevaert, 10 March 2017)
3 Person IVF approved by the HFEA – what does this mean? (Jordan Publishing Family Law, 31 January 2017)
2016
In 2016, significant fertility law cases covered in the media and commentary by Louisa Ghevaert included: surrogacy law in Britain, Indian surrogacy law reform, fertility treatment and consent to legal parenthood.
Why must I be made to feel ashamed of my own baby? Mother of Britain’s 1,000th surrogate child reveals her struggle after infant was handed over to her in a hospital car park – The Daily Mail (7 November 2016)
Fertility treatment and consent to legal parenthood: no room for errors – Jordan Publishing (13 October 2016)
BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour interview with Louisa Ghevaert on Indian Surrogacy Law Reform (BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, 20 September 2016)
5 Steps for Families Considering Same-Sex Surrogacy – Gay Times (March 2016)
2015
In 2015, cutting-edge fertility and family law cases covered in the media and thought leadership by Louisa Ghevaert included: reform of surrogacy law in the UK, international surrogacy and adoption law.
Surrogacy in the UK: time for legal reform? – The Times (26 November 2015)
Call for surrogacy reform – New Law Journal (26 November 2015)
Dispelling myths about surrogacy in the UK and the need for reform: report of the Surrogacy UK Working Group on surrogacy law reform – Family Law (23 November 2015)
The kindness of strangers: should surrogates get paid? – The Guardian (21 November 2015)
Landmark report shines light on the practice of surrogacy in the UK and calls for legal reform – Family Law (20 November 2015)
Report calls for urgent legal reform for surrogacy – Family Law Week (20 November 2015)
Gay Times, Five Legal Hurdles of Surrogacy (June 2015)
UK citizens are the most likely in Europe to go abroad to find a surrogate mother, featuring Louisa Ghevaert – The Independent (15 March 2015)
BBC Radio London ‘Have Your Say’ interview with Vanessa Feltz following adoption ruling on a single father through surrogacy, featuring Louisa Ghevaert – (9 March 2015)
We Are Family magazine article on international surrogacy (We Are Family Magazine, March 2015)
BBC World Service ‘Have Your Say’ interview on international commercial surrogacy, featuring Louisa Ghevaert – (20 February 2015)
2014
In 2014, ground-breaking fertility and family law cases covered in the media and commentary by Louisa Ghevaert included: UK surrogacy law, reform of surrogacy law and policy and surrogacy disputes.
New Law Journal, interview with Louisa Ghevaert (New Law Journal, 2 September 2014)
UK surrogacy gone wrong (BioNews, 17 March 2014)
DIY surrogacy leaves intended mother with no parental rights (BioNews, 10 March 2014)
Leicester baby case leads to judge’s surrogacy advice (BBC News, 6 March 2014)
DIY surrogate pregnancy ends in court battle (The Telegraph, 6 March 2014)
‘Do it yourself’ surrogate pregnancy ends in legal chaos with three-year old boy effectively having two mothers (Daily Mail, 5 March 2014)
2013
In 2013, thought leadership by Louisa Ghevaert on fertility and family law issues included: legal issues for families formed through assisted reproduction, surrogacy law, healthcare in The West and the IVF postcode lottery,
Alec Mapa: Baby Daddy (Pink Parenting,September/October 2013)
Chely Wright: Redefining Country (Pink Parenting,July/August 2013)
Sofia Vergara: The Modern Family at Forty (Fertility Road,June/July 2013)
Zachary Quinto: Seeking The Final Frontier (Pink Parenting,May/June 2013)
Charlize Theron: Africa, awards and adoption (Fertility Road,April/May 2013)
Blakeway Productions’ “What You Didn’t Know About The West: Healthcare” featuring Louisa Ghevaert (filmed September 2012 and broadcast Spring 2013)
Rosie O’Donnell: Actress, Activist, Adopter (Pink Parenting,Winter 2013)
Matt Bomer: fame, fatherhood and surrogacy (Pink Parenting,Winter 2013)
Cash for Victims of the IVF postcode lottery (Scottish Daily Mail, 12 July 2013)
BBC Radio Berkshire – interview with Louisa Ghevaert and Professor Robert Winston regarding new IVF treatment guidelines for PCTs (BBC Radio Berkshire, 20 February 2013)
The age old question: the impact of age (BioNews, 7 January 2013)
2012
In 2012 important fertility cases covered in the media and thought leadership by Louisa Ghevaert included: the IVF postcode lottery, private sperm donation, national and international surrogacy law and policy.
BBC Radio Berkshire – interview with Louisa Ghevaert concerning the IVF postcode lottery and legal challenge against Secretary of State for Health (BBC Radio Berkshire, 3 December 2012)
Hollywood Housewife (Fertility Road, October/November 2012)
National Geographic TV Documentary TABOO, series 9, Episode 905 “Strange Passions” on private sperm donation featuring Louisa Ghevaert (August 2012)
Surrogacy law interview featuring Louisa Ghevaert with Ukrainian TV channel (Inter TV, 15 July 2012)
The IVF postcode lottery must stop (BioNews, 2 July 2012)
Infertile woman, aged 24, accuses trust of age discrimination after being refused IVF – British Medical Journal (11 June 2012)
Too young to have IVF: 24-year old woman fights for her right to fertility treatment (The Independent featuring Louisa Ghevaert, 5 June 2012)
Too young for IVF:Wife, 24, told she must wait until she is 30 for treatment (The Daily Mail, 4 June 2012)
Surrogacy and the celebrity factor (Fertility Road, April/May 2012)
IVF Postcode Lottery programme (BBC1, 8 March 2012)
The Modern Family (a Resolution guide) featuring Louisa Ghevaert (March 2012)
2011
In 2011, significant cases covered in the media and commentary by Louisa Ghevaert included: international surrogacy, co-parenting, adoption and the IVF postcode lottery.
The art of successful co-parenting (Pink Parenting,Winter 2011/12)
International surrogacy: a legal minefield? (Fertility Road ,Winter 2011/2012)
Couple win legal fight to receive IVF treatment (The Portsmouth News, 21 December 2011)
Couple win IVF funding battle with NHS (The Telegraph, 20 December 2011)
Couple win IVF funding battle with PCT (BBC1 South Today, 20 December 2011)
International surrogacy: navigating the legal pitfalls (Pink Parenting, September/October 2011)
Legal lowdown, adoption, fostering and surrogacy (Pink Parenting, July/August 2011)
IVF, donor conception and surrogacy: is global regulation possible? (BioNews, 4 July 2011)
International Surrogacy: Payments, Public Policy and Media Hype (Family Law, May 2011)
Top judge allows illegal surrogate baby deals to prevent child being left ‘parentless’ (The Daily Mail, 19 May 2011)
Surrogacy, parenthood and disputes: are there any lessons to be learned? (BioNews, 14 February 2011)
International surrogacy: progress or media hype? (BioNews, 10 January 2011)
BBC Radio 5 Live – surrogacy interview with Louisa Ghevaert and well known UK surrogate mother Jill Hawkins – BBC1 (23 January 2011)
BBC Breakfast TV- surrogacy interview with Louisa Ghevaert and well known UK surrogate mother Jill Hawkins, BBC1, (23 January 2011)
BBC Radio 4 Today Programme debate on whether surrogacy law should be changed with Louisa Ghevaert and Dr David King, Director of Human Genetics Alert (BBC Radio 4, 21 January 2011)
BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour surrogacy interview on the ethics of paying for surrogacy with Louisa Ghevaert, Barry Barlow-Drewitt and writer Julie Bindell, (BBC Radio 4,19 January 2011)
2010
In 2010, cases covered in the media and commentary by Louisa Ghevaert included international surrogacy, sperm donor websites, LGBT family building options and birth registration.
Surrogacy couple: paying an American was our last chance for a child (The Telegraph, 11 December 2010)
Childless couples win the right to pay surrogate mothers (The Telegraph, 9 December 2010)
Childless couples win the right to pay a surrogate to bear their child (The Daily Mail, 9 December 2010)
Reform our surrogacy laws (Louisa Ghevaert, Evening Standard letters, 12 November 2010)
Stonewall Gay dad’s Guide (October 2010)
Sperm donor websites: the baby delivery service (The Telegraph featuring Louisa Ghevaert, 26 September 2010)
Bringing up baby (the options for gay men) – Out in the City Magazine (May 2010)
Why can’t I have a baby on my own? (The Independent, featuring Louisa Ghevaert, 20 May 2010)
Birth certificates, a new era (BioNews, 30 April 2010)
What happens when surrogacy goes wrong? The recent Indiana case in its wider context (BioNews, 9 February 2010)
International Surrogacy, Fertility Tourism and the American Bar Association – The Review (January/February 2010)
2009
In 2009, cases covered by the media and commentary by Louisa Ghevaert included international surrogacy, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 and the Department of Health’s consultation on parental orders.
Parenthood for same-sex couples – Stonewall guide (December 2009)
Moving surrogacy law forward? The Department of Health consultation on parental orders (BioNews, 27 October 2009)
International Family Law – The chosen middle ground, England, surrogacy law and the international arena – International Family Law, November 2009
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008: Revolution or Evolution? – Family Law, August 2009
The changing face of parenthood – Family Law Journal (July/August 2009)
Re X and Y (foreign surrogacy) a trek through a thorn forest – Family Law, March 2009
Surrogacy law must be reviewed to stop more British couples ending up in a legal nightmare (BioNews, 12 January 2009)
