ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that concept of parental responsibility in the Children Act 1989 has moved further and further away from its predecessor, parental rights. It focuses on the background to the introduction of the term 'parental responsibility'. The chapter examines the allocation of parental responsibility and discusses that parental responsibility has moved away from meaning parental authority towards meaning legitimation. It describes indicative of three trends away from parental authority, namely, the proliferation of parental responsibility, the degradation of parental responsibility and the shift in the reasons given for granting parental responsibility. The proliferation of parental responsibility demonstrates that parental responsibility is no longer predominantly about parental authority or decision-making. The current government proposal to make parental responsibility compulsory for almost all fathers is inextricably linked to the diminishing parental authority element of parental responsibility. The categories of people who have parental powers automatically and who may acquire parental powers have been expanded at regular historical intervals.
