A transgender man, who is biologically a woman, and who has given birth to a child, is fighting to not be registered as the baby’s mother. If successful, it is thought that the child would become the first person in Britain to be born without a ‘legal mother’.

Lawyers representing the parent told a High Court judge that the individual was born a woman but “realised he was trans” several years ago. The person has lived “as a man” since then and had undergone surgery to “re-contour” the upper body while still being biologically able to get pregnant and give birth. The individual was granted a gender recognition certificate more than a year ago, legally declaring him to be a man, prior to the birth of the child. Now, he wants to be identified as the child’s “father” or “parent” on the birth certificate. However a birth registrar said the law requires people who give birth to children to be registered as mothers.

Lawyers for the transgender man said forcing him to register as the child’s mother breached his human right to respect for private and family life and added that such “interference” was not proportionate or necessary in the light of changes which had “evolved in society”.