KINGSTON, Jamaica — Government Senator, Kerensia Morrison, has called for consultations with relevant stakeholders aimed at crafting an appropriate policy and legislation concerning surrogacy.

Surrogacy is an arrangement, often supported by a legal agreement, whereby a woman (the surrogate) agrees to become pregnant and give birth to a child for another person(s) who is or will become the parent(s) of the child.

Morrison, who moved a private members’ motion in the Senate on Friday, noted that Jamaica has not yet developed the technical and legal framework to govern surrogacy.

She said surrogacy is being practised and marketed in the country, and a number of people are becoming increasingly interested in pursuing this option for raising families.

She noted that conflicts may arise from transactions concerning surrogacy, which could demand that the matter be resolved in the courts.

Morrison said that the psychological impact on the parties involved could lead to mental health challenges, and there are ethical concerns regarding surrogacy, “in so far as it may be pursued for commercial purposes, and not for the development of a family”.

— JIS