Legal initiative for Gestational Surrogacy in Portugal: An overview of the legal, regulatory, and ethical issues
| Autor | Maria do Céu Patrão Neves |
| Páginas | 56-74 |
Legal initiative for Gestational Surrogacy in Portugal: an overview of the legal, regulatory, and ethical issues
Maria do Céu Patrão Neves Rev Bio y Der. 2022; 56: 55-74
DOI 10.1344/rbd2022.56.39614
www.bioeticayderecho.ub.edu - ISSN 1886-5887
| 56
Abstract
Gestational surrogacy is a controversial ethical issue worldwide. In 2016, Portugal launched a second
political attempt to legalize gestational surrogacy, proposing it as: being altruistic; forbidding a biological
tie between the surrogate and the child; requiring a biological relationship between one of the legal parents
and the child; and demanding a legal contract between the surrogate and the legal parents.
The law was a pproved, regulated and entered into force. However, months later, the Constitutional Court
ruled some of its norms unconstitutional, namely due to the legal ambiguity of the surrogacy contracts; too
short a deadline for the surrogates withdraw of consent and the need to comply with the childrens right
to know their biological origin. The law entered a complex political and legal process. It also caused a serious
problem in assisted reproductive treatments, with the suspension of those treatments that entailed the
anonymity of the donors. The law on surrogacy was, finally, enacted in November 2021, although the
introduction of its regulation is still pending.
This paper describes the legal process, within its political context, stressing the ethical issues a t stake, and
presenting the initiative for legalization of gestational surrogacy in Portugal as a valuable case study
analysis: of how a top-down initiative, ideologically driven and politically rushed, and which ignores ethical
advice, generates a troubled and penalizing legal process for the people involved.
Keywords: Gestational surrogacy; law; ethics; health policy; altruism; rights and duties of stakeholders;
surrogacy contracts; informed consent; anonymity.
Resum
La gestació subrogada és una qüestió ètica controvertida a tot el món. En 2016, Portugal va llançar un segon
intent polític per a legalitzar la subrogació gestacional, proposant-la com: altruista; prohibint un vincle
biològic entre la subrogada i el nen; exigint una relació biològica entre un dels pares legals i el nen; i exigint
un contracte legal entre la subrogada i els pares legals. La llei va ser aprovada, reglamentada i va entrar en
vigor. No obstant, mesos després, el Tribunal Constitucional va dictaminar la inconstitucionalitat d'algunes
de les seves normes, en concret: l'ambigüitat jurídica dels contractes de gestació subrogada; un termini
massa curt per a la retirada del consentiment de la mare de lloguer; i la necessitat de complir amb el dret
dels nens a conèixer el seu origen biològic. La llei va entrar en un complex procés polític i jurídic. També va
provocar un greu problema en els tractaments de reproducció assistida, amb la suspensió d'aquells que
implicaven l'anonimat de les donants. La llei de gestació subrogada va ser, finalment, promulgada al
novembre de 2021, si bé encara està pendent la introducció del seu reglament. Aquest treball descriu el
procés legal, dins del seu context polític, posant l'accent en les qüestions ètiques en joc, i presentant aquesta
iniciativa com una valuosa anàlisi de cas: de com una iniciativa de dalt a baix, ideològicament impulsada i
políticament precipitada, i que ignora l'assessorament ètic, genera un procés legal problemàtic i
penalitzador per a les persones implicades.
Paraules clau: Subrogació gestacional; dret; ètica; política sanitària; altruisme; drets i deures dels interessats;
contractes de subrogació; consentiment informat; anonimat.
Resumen
La gestación subrogada es una cuestión ética controvertida en todo el mundo. En 2016, Portugal lanzó un
segundo intento político para legalizar la subrogación gestacional, proponiéndola como: altruista;
prohibiendo un vínculo biológico entre la subrogada y el niño; exigiendo una relación biológica entre uno
de los padres legales y el niño; y exigiendo un contrato legal entre la subrogada y los padres legales. La ley
fue aprobada, reglamentada y entró en vigor. Sin embargo, meses después, el Tribunal Constitucional
dictaminó la inconstitucionalidad de algunas de sus normas, en concreto: la ambigüedad jurídica de los
contratos de gestación subrogada; un plazo demasiado corto para la retirada del consentimiento de la
madre de alquiler; y la necesidad de cumplir con el derecho de los niños a conocer su origen biológico. La
ley entró en un complejo proceso político y jurídico. También provocó un grave problema en los
tratamientos de reproducción asistida, con la suspensión de aquellos que implicaban el anonimato de las
donantes. La ley de gestación subrogada fue, finalmente, promulgada en noviembre de 2021, aunque aún
está pendiente la introducción de su reglamento. Este t rabajo describe el proceso legal, dentro de su
contexto político, haciendo hincapié en las cuestiones éticas que están en juego, y presentando la iniciativa
de legalización de la gestación subrogada en Portugal como un valioso análisis de caso: de cómo una
iniciativa de arriba abajo, ideológicamente impulsada y políticamente precipitada, y que ignora el
asesoramiento ético, genera un proceso legal problemático y penalizador para las personas implicadas.
Palabras clave: Subrogación gestacional; derecho; ética; política sanitaria; altruismo; derechos y deberes
de los interesados; contratos de subrogación; consentimiento informado; anonimato.
Legal initiative for Gestational Surrogacy in Portugal: an overview of the legal, regulatory, and ethical issues
Maria do Céu Patrão Neves Rev Bio y Der. 2022; 56: 55-74
DOI 10.1344/rbd2022.56.39614
www.bioeticayderecho.ub.edu - ISSN 1886-5887
| 57
)ntroduction
The first documented case of gestational surrogacy dates back to 1985, in the wake of the progress
of assisted reproductive technology (ART). But it has mostly been in this century that this
procedure has started to be more widely known as a reproductive method for women and couples
who, due to a variety of different reasons, could not otherwise have a child biologically related to
them. At present, gestational surrogacy is seldom available and often only to those who can afford
it.
It is in t his context that the debate on surrogacy is being pursued worldwide , and that the
national policies adopted along the way stand as examples for other countries, and case studies
for academics and professionals.
Portugal is the country where surrogacy has most recently been legalized. To have a broad
view on gestational surrogacy in Portugal we will focus on the legal process, the policy adopted,
and the current situation.
Gestational Surrogacy definition and variables
Gestational surrogacy designates the process through which a woman becomes pregnant
on behalf of someone else and gives birth to that persons child
Surrogacy can be established at the biological level: when the surrogate is the oocyte donor
becoming the biological mother of the baby. When the oocyte is not from the surrogate, but rather
from the woman who contracted the surrogate and who will raise the child, the latter is also the
childs biological mother even though she did not give birth
Surrogacy should also be established at the legal level: when, with or without a biological
tie, there is a formal contract that attributes maternal rights and duties to another woman who is
not the gestational mother.
In either case, surrogacy can also be commercial when it is paid for by whoever hires the
service or altruistic, solidary and compassionate when it is free of charge, being, at most,
compensated exactly for all the financial burdens it entails for the surrogate.
Altruistic surrogacy is considered more or less r estrictive/liberal according to the le vel of
accessibility, respectively: to nationals or also to foreigners; to heterosexual couples or also to
homosexual couples and to singles; as a subsidiary principle, to overcome infertility considered
as a disease; or as a social resource, as a reproductive alternative (e.g. for single men).
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