ABSTRACT
CONTENTS OF PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY Parental responsibility is defined as the rights and responsibilities that a parent has in relation to a child. Although there is no list of what this includes, students should know what sort of decisions are included within parental responsibility. Often exam questions will focus on whether a carer with parental responsibility can take a decision without the agreement of other carers with parental responsibility and students should be aware that for most decisions there is no duty to consult, let alone obtain agreement. The statutory exceptions to this change of surname and removal from the jurisdiction are dealt with in s 13. The rights of the carer without parental responsibility are set out in s 3(5). Another issue is how parental responsibility can be reconciled with the rights and increasing autonomy of the older child (Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech AHA (1986)).
