{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/legitimacy-act-1976/section-2A",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/legitimacy-act-1976/section-2A.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1976/31",
  "legislation_title": "Legitimacy Act 1976",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/legitimacy-act-1976",
  "path": "section/2A",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "2A",
  "heading": "Legitimation by subsequent marriage or civil partnership of parents",
  "text": "Subject to the following provisions of this Act, where—\n(a) a person (“the child”) has a parent (“the female parent”) by virtue of section 43 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (treatment provided to woman who agrees that second woman to be parent),\n(b) at the time of the child's birth, the female parent and the child's mother are neither married nor civil partners of each other,\n(c) the female parent and the child's mother subsequently marry or enter into a civil partnership, and\n(d) the female parent is at the date of the marriage or the formation of the civil partnership domiciled in England and Wales,\nthe marriage or the civil partnership shall render the child, if living, legitimate from the date of the marriage or the formation of the civil partnership.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 2A inserted (6.4.2009 for specified purposes and 1.9.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (c. 22), s. 68(2), Sch. 6 para. 16; S.I. 2009/479, art. 6(1)(e)(2) (with art. 7, Sch.)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 2A(b) substituted (13.3.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 15(4)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 2A(c) inserted (13.3.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 15(4)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 2A(d) inserted (13.3.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 15(4)(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 2A inserted (13.3.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 15(4)(e)(i)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 2A inserted (13.3.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 15(4)(e)(ii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 2A heading inserted (13.3.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 15(4)(a)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1976/31/section/2A",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:30:12.646739+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}