Sabbatical Ingrid Boone: Reassessment of legal parenthood

This sabbatical period of six months should allow me to concentrate on research, in order to acquire ideas and insights that will result in publications, new doctoral proposals and further development of interdisciplinary collaboration (e.g. via KU Leuven Child & Youth Institute). The emphasis will be on a reassessment of the legal design and the legal consequences of the parent-child relationship, in the light of social and medical-technological developments. In recent years, committees have been working in various other (European) countries to rethink parenting rights and formulate proposals for amended legislation. In Belgium, new legislative initiatives (e.g. co-motherhood, medically assisted reproduction) are not based on an overarching vision of parenthood and parent-child relationships. There is a need to reassess the legal approach to legal parenthood and parental responsibilities, with the best interests and rights of the children as the primary consideration. I have already touched on this theme in my publications in recent years, but I now want to study it in more depth and comparative law, with attention to insights from other scientific disciplines (such as the social sciences). The intention is that this will lead to a number of English-language publications and an international study day with report book. Within the broad theme of parents and children, I also want to focus more specifically on medical decisions involving minors. In this regard, a collaboration has been established in the past year with KU Leuven colleagues from various scientific domains. A sabbatical period will allow me to strengthen the legal component within this collaboration.