Overview
- In a judgment delivered this month, the Court of Appeal in London ruled current DNA testing cannot tell which of two identical twins is the child's biological father.
- Judges said the twin named on the birth certificate was not entitled to be registered as the father and ordered his parental responsibility to cease for now.
- DNA results show one of the brothers is the father but cannot distinguish between them, leaving a 50% chance the correct name is already on the birth register.
- The mother had sex with both men within four days during the month of conception, and a family court had found it equally likely that either twin is the father.
- The panel noted future advances might resolve paternity only at very significant cost, with evidence to the court suggesting whole‑genome analysis around £90,000 may still be inconclusive, so the case continues with the identities of the family protected.