Bligh legalises non-profit surrogacy

QUEENSLAND has fallen into line with the rest of the country by decriminalising not-for-profit surrogacy.

QUEENSLAND has fallen into line with the rest of the country by decriminalising not-for-profit surrogacy.

Premier Anna Bligh said same-sex couples would also be allowed to become parents through so-called altruistic surrogacy, in which the birth mother's expenses could be met by the adoptive party but no other payments made.

While Ms Bligh acknowledged some in the community would have a "moral dilemma” about the move, she urged people to set aside their prejudices and back the Government in putting the interests of surrogate children first.

Ms Bligh said Queensland had been the only state to maintain criminal sanctions against surrogacy, and the reform was necessary because the law had been outpaced by advances in medical science.

Commercial surrogacy would remain banned, however.

The move is likely to be seized upon by advocates of abortion law reform, who say the introduction of the abortion pill RU486, combined with the prosecution of a Cairns couple for using a contraband supply of the drug, demonstrates the need for abortion to be decriminalised, as is mostly the case in Victoria and the ACT.

Queensland, NSW and South Australian retain abortion-related offences in their respective criminal codes.