Legal Issues Concerning Surrogacy in Uganda: Taking a Leap from the United Kingdom
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33474/yur.v8i2.23973Keywords:
Surrogacy, Legal Framework, Uganda, United Kingdom, Parental RightsAbstract
Surrogacy in Uganda presents complex legal and ethical challenges due to the absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework. This study critically examines the legal issues and implications of surrogacy in Uganda and compares the Ugandan legal position with the regulatory framework of the United Kingdom. A doctrinal legal research methodology is employed, drawing on primary and secondary legal sources to evaluate existing legal provisions and interpretive gaps. The findings indicate that Uganda does not yet have specific legislation governing surrogacy, resulting in significant legal uncertainty and regulatory vacuum. This gap raises unresolved legal questions concerning parental rights and status, the protection of the best interests of the child, and the potential commodification and exploitation of women involved in surrogacy arrangements. In contrast, the United Kingdom provides a comparatively more developed legal framework, primarily through statutory and judicial mechanisms that regulate surrogacy arrangements, although certain ethical and legal controversies remain. The novelty of this study lies in its comparative doctrinal analysis of surrogacy regulation between Uganda and the United Kingdom, an area that remains underexplored in existing socio-legal scholarship. Its contribution is twofold: first, it systematically identifies and analyses the legal deficiencies in Uganda’s current approach to surrogacy; and second, it draws normative lessons from the UK legal framework to inform potential regulatory development in Uganda. The study concludes that there is an urgent need for Uganda to enact comprehensive surrogacy legislation to address existing legal ambiguities and safeguard the rights and interests of all parties involved. It recommends a clear statutory framework addressing parental recognition, child welfare, and the prevention of exploitation in surrogacy arrangements.
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