ECHR Faults Poland Over Birth Certificate Dispute

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Poland violated a child's rights by refusing to register a UK birth certificate listing two women as the child's parents. The case concerned a child born in the UK who has held Polish citizenship since birth, according to the website European Conservative.

Polish authorities refused to register the birth certificate, citing public policy and domestic legislation, under which the mother is the woman who gives birth to the child and the father can only be a man.

The Strasbourg court found that the authorities had failed to give sufficient weight to the child's best interests. It ruled that the refusal to register the birth certificate prevented the child from obtaining Polish identity documents and created legal uncertainty.

The court awarded the child €5,000 ($5,700) in compensation for non-pecuniary damage. However, it found no violation of the rights of either mother and dismissed a similar complaint brought by another couple with weaker ties to Poland.

The ruling is not yet final and may be referred to the court's Grand Chamber.

(mja)