Whose baby is it?

Justice Minister Daniela Kovářová wants to address the issue of surrogate mothers.

Justice Minister Daniela Kovářová last week said she wanted to address the issue of surrogacy in the Czech legal system. Surrogacy is legal in the Czech Republic, however, there is no further legislation to deal with the legal rights of biological or surrogate mothers. Biological mothers are not guaranteed parental rights and the surrogate mother may have custody of the child she carries and delivers.

Kovářová's plan, now to be addressed by experts, would also enable surrogate mothers to be paid for carrying the baby. In Britain, for example, surrogacy is legal, but the surrogate mother is entitled only to payments covering her expenses, and it is illegal to advertise that you are willing to enter into a surrogacy arrangement.

Psychiatrist Radim Honzák opposes surrogacy. "I don't like it in principal. A child is not a commodity. It doesn't mean that if I want a child, I can have one, no matter what. Adoptions are also a possibility," he said. Milan Mrázek, chief physician of the Assisted Reproduction Centre at the ISCARE clinic in Prague, has a different opinion. "As far as this issue is concerned, I am liberal. I am not against the idea of surrogacy," he told Aktuálně.cz. Mrázek adds the ethical question of commercial surrogacy needs to be addressed.

What do you think?

• What is your personal stance on surrogacy?
• Should the surrogate mother be paid "rent"?
• Should she have any right to the child?

Please send us your comments below.

Barbara Bindasová is a staff writer and translator at the Monitor. She is a graduate student of literature at Charles University.
You can reach her at barbara@praguemonitor.com. See more of her stories here.