Monash law professor to help lead surrogacy laws review - Monash University

12 Mar 2025 3:00 PM

Monash University Faculty of Law Associate Professor Ronli Sifris has been appointed  Assistant Commissioner for The Australian Law Reform Commission’s Review of Surrogacy Laws. 

Associate Professor Sifris is Deputy Director of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law and a highly-regarded specialist on surrogacy laws. 

She will join the ALRC’s Review of Surrogacy Laws, led by ALRC President Justice Mordy Bromberg. Associate Professor Sifris will help to lead and conduct the inquiry.

Associate Professor Sifris is excited by the challenge.  "After over a decade of researching surrogacy laws, policy, and practice, I am excited to work with ALRC President the Hon Justice Mordy Bromberg and the rest of the ALRC Inquiry team to help lead this review at such a pivotal time,” she said.

“The opportunity to shape a framework that balances legal clarity and consistency with ethical considerations is an exciting challenge, and I look forward to contributing to the improvement of the law in this area.

"The current review of surrogacy is important because it provides an opportunity to update and refine an area of law that has not adequately kept pace with the social and cultural landscape in which we live. With advances in reproductive technologies and changing societal norms, it’s essential that our laws, policies, and practices reflect the needs and rights of all parties involved - surrogates, intended parents, and, most importantly, children.

"Surrogacy is a deeply personal and often complex journey, and the laws governing it must be guided by comprehensive research, careful analysis and extensive consultation. With over ten years of expertise in this field, I am thrilled to help lead a review that will offer evidence-based recommendations for reform."

Dean of Monash Law, Professor Steven Vaughan said: “Associate Professor Ronli Sifris's appointment as Assistant Commissioner underscores her exceptional expertise in the broad field of reproductive health law. 

“Her extensive research at the intersection of reproductive rights and legal frameworks, both domestically and internationally, positions her uniquely to shape and deliver on a meaningful review of law reform in this area. I am confident that her leadership will significantly advance our understanding and development of surrogacy laws."

Surrogacy arrangements can be medically, emotionally, financially and legally complex, with the law differing between jurisdictions.

The federal government announced the review in December 2024, with a view to protecting the rights of children born of surrogacy and providing Australian families with greater clarity and certainty. 

The ALRC has been asked to deliver its final report to the Attorney-General by 29 July 2026.

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