AB v Cornall

The case of *AB v Cornall* concerned a dispute between a father, AB, and his former de facto partner, Cornall, regarding the upbringing of their child. The matter came before Toohey J of the High Court of Australia.

The central legal issue before the Court was whether the father, AB, was entitled to have his child baptised in the Roman Catholic faith, notwithstanding the mother's objections. This raised questions about parental rights and responsibilities in relation to religious upbringing, particularly where parents hold differing religious beliefs or where one parent is not of the same faith as the child.

Toohey J considered the principles governing the welfare of the child as paramount. His Honour noted that while parents have a right to determine the religious upbringing of their child, this right is not absolute and must be exercised in the best interests of the child. In this instance, Toohey J found that the father had not established that the baptism was in the child's best interests, particularly given the mother's opposition and the child's young age. The Court ultimately determined that the father was not entitled to have the child baptised against the mother's wishes.