Madras High Court orders 4-week disposal of surrogacy parenthood claims under the Surrogacy Act

Direct fact

In June 2026, the Madras High Court ordered criminal magistrates in Tamil Nadu to decide within 4 weeks on petitions filed by couples claiming parenthood of a child born through surrogacy.

Key specifics

• The case arose from a petition filed by a couple from Namakkal.
• The Namakkal criminal magistrate court had rejected the plea, citing the woman’s age above 50 years.
• The High Court referred to the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act as a special law protecting intending parents, surrogate women and children.
• The court said the woman seeking surrogacy can be treated as eligible until she attains 51 years.
• The order asked district principal sessions judges to issue circulars for statewide implementation.

Exam lens

TNPSC polity and social justice question type: identify the court, the 4-week timeline, the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, the 50-to-51 age interpretation, and the statewide circular direction. One-liner: “Which court fixed a 4-week deadline for surrogacy parenthood claims?”