50 Years of Belgian Parentage Law: Time to Celebrate or Contemplate?

Abstract

Belgian parentage legislation has evolved significantly over the past half-century, in response to a series of social as well as scientific changes. Crucial trends, such as the ever-increasing social equality between women and men, the social acceptance of children born out of wedlock, the consecration of the child's best interests standard, medically assisted reproductive technologies, the opening of marriage to same-sex couples, and the (legal) recognition of transgender persons, have put pressure on Belgian parentage law to evolve in line with these developments. What follows will provide a concise overview of the most important changes that characterise the history of Belgian parentage law, both in terms of the creation and contestation of a parentage bond, and the specific foundations of parentage law.