Re Michael: Surrogacy Arrangements

This matter concerned an application by the intended parents for leave to commence proceedings for the adoption of a child, Michael, born in October 2008. The application was brought under section 60G of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth). The court was presided over by Watts J.

The central legal issue before the court was whether to grant the intended parents leave to commence adoption proceedings for Michael. This required the court to consider the specific criteria and public interest considerations relevant to granting such leave in the context of a surrogacy arrangement.

Watts J dismissed the application, finding that the circumstances did not warrant granting leave to commence adoption proceedings. The court's reasoning, though not detailed in the provided text, would have involved an assessment of whether the proposed adoption was in the best interests of the child, Michael, and whether the surrogacy arrangement itself met the legal and ethical standards required by Australian law. The court's decision to dismiss the application indicates a determination that the threshold for granting leave under section 60G had not been met.