The Jan Balaz Case at the Supreme Court is now taking wild turns with the suggestion of the Solicitor General of India being turned down by the German Couple. As reported from several sources, the German Couple’s Counsel had expressed their willingness to contest the matter before the Supreme Court rather than wait for the Government with a favourable response. The Solicitor General of India had earlier sought time before the Supreme Court stating that the Government is trying to do its best for the immediate settlement of the matter in an amicable manner. The German Couple’s Counsel had stated that four month had already elapsed the same way and they wished to fight the matter rather than wait for the Government to come with an amicable settlement. The German Couple’s Counsel had represented before the Supreme Court that the decision of the Gujarat High Court may be allowed to operate since the Government of India does not have a problem in allowing the children for going abroad. The Solicitor General protested against this argument stating that the holding of the surrogate mother to be the legal mother of the child would have far reaching impact and that cannot be allowed.
The Supreme Court then directed the Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) to consider as a one-time measure the plea of the German couple for adoption of twins born through a surrogate Indian mother as a special case. The CARA is the body which was set up pursuant to India becoming a party to Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption in the year 2003.
No arguemnts has yet been presented before the Supreme Court of India on the effects of holding the surrogate mother to be the legal mother of the child. The stand of other intended parents who are presently taking up surrogacy in India has also not been made available before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court decision would be affecting every intended parent who is presently taking up surrogacy in India.
