The New South Wales Law Reform Commission is undertaking substantial research on a project relating to surrogate motherhood arrangements. The project is, in turn, part of the Commission's work under its reference Artificial Conception which covers all aspects of human reproductive technology. In order to obtain information on Australian attitudes to surrogacy arrangements, the Commission arranged the conduct of a national sample survey of public opinion. This report of the survey will greatly assist the Commission in formulating recommendations for its report on surrogate motherhood.

Completion of this report would not have been possible without the help of a number of people. In the first place, the Commission wishes to record its thanks to the Law Foundation of New South Wales for the generous grant which it gave to provide the funds for the preparation and conduct of the survey, the analysis of the results, and the production of this report.

Members and officers of the Artificial Conception Division of the Commission, together with Concetta Rizzo, Consultant Statistician to the Commission, drafted the questions to be asked in the survey. Further assistance was provided by the Roy Morgan Research Centre Pty Ltd, the Organisation selected by the Commission to conduct the survey on its behalf.

This Research Report was jointly written by the Commission's Research Director, William J Tearle, and Concetta Rizzo. Particular acknowledgment is due to the expertise and unremitting energy of Mr Tearle who has ensured the efficient completion of a unique, balanced and well-presented document. The Commission also wishes to record its appreciation of the assistance provided by Mr Keith Mason QC, Solicitor General of New South Wales, who is a former Chairman of the Commission and a former member of the Artificial Conception Division.

Special mention is due to the contribution of legal officer Gail Morgan. Further valuable assistance was provided by Fiona Curtis, Lauren Melloy and Juliet Potts, members of the Commission's research staff, and by the Commission's word processing supervisor, Nozveen Nisha Khan, in the preparation of the tables. Additional expert word processing assistance was provided by Mrs Irene Vassarotti.

The Commission believes that this Research Report will make an important contribution to public debate and understanding of the issues in surrogacy arrangements. I am pleased to present it and to express the Commission's thanks to all who participated in its preparation.


Russell Scott
Deputy Chairman and Commissioner-in-Charge of Artificial Conception Reference
May 1987