Surrogacy practice is one area of practice that is challenging to many lawyers in Nigeria, regardless of their age at the bar. This difficulty is worsened by the apparent absence of a regulatory legal frame guiding the practice and stipulating the role of lawyers in the chain; because, a standard surrogacy process involves other professionals such as fertility doctors, therapists and counsellors, lawyers etc.
It is on account of the above that the Medical and Health Law Committee of the Garki Branch of NBA is organizing a-2day Medical Law Webinar on Surrogacy Practice.
Day 1 of the Webinar focuses on Critical Analysis of the Surrogacy Bill pending before the House of Representative, with a view to identifying inherent lacunae and making recommendations to the House of Representatives to fill the identified gaps, for effective Surrogacy Act. Day 2 focuses on examining the Role of Lawyers in surrogacy practice, as well as discussing the attendant challenges in this area in the absence of a regulatory legal frame work. The subject of billing clients who require this service will also be considered on day 2 of the webinar.
Speaking on the import of the webinar, the Chairman of the Medical and Health Law Committee of NBA, Garki Branch, Ebenezer Egwuatu Esq., stated that the webinar is one of the modest efforts of the Committee to bridge the knowledge gap in medical law practice. This the Committee does by inviting experts in various aspects of medical law to share their expertise and build the capacity of members in that area.
On the capacity of the facilitator, Egwuatu Esq. stated that the facilitator is a seasoned and experienced International Fertility Law expert of 25 years post call; with dual qualification to practice law in Nigeria as well as England and Wales. She possesses over 10years practical experience in International Surrogacy, Trans-national Child Adoption, Gamete Donation and Posthumous Conception. She also provides services for families navigating immigration, citizenship or documentation process for a surrogate-born or donor-conceived children. She is the Principal and Lead Consultant at Oka mara Law & Consulting.
While encouraging legal practitioners across the nation to maximize this learning opportunity to hone their skill in surrogacy practice, Egwuatu Esq. stated that lawyers could register for the webinar which is slated to hold on 20th and 21st January, 2025 from 1:00pm-3:00pm daily via the zoom link below: https://tiny.cc/5t84001. Livestream of the webinar will also be available on YouTube, on the NBA Garki Branch, Abuja YouTube Channel (Prospective participants are enjoined to subscribe to the channel ahead and click the notification icon to be notified when the live stream starts).
Furthermore, Egwuatu Esq., stated that the Medical and Health Law Committee of NBA, Garki Branch had previously organized webinars on the following topics: “The Incessant Contravention of the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshots Act 2017: Remedies Available to Victims”; “Consent to Medical Procedure in Nigeria: A Legal Perspective”; “Medical Negligence Litigation/ Practice and Procedure of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal”; and “Career Prospects in Medical Law Practice.”
While thanking the Anthony Bamidele Ojo Esq., led Garki Branch Executive for their support to the Medical and Health Law Committee, Egwuatu encouraged lawyers to develop interest in Medical Law as it is one of the emerging areas of practice in our clime. He also encouraged members to participate in future Medical Law webinars to be organized by the Abuja Branch Medical and Health Law Committee.
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