New Jersey Court Rules That Mother Can Keep Father Out of Delivery Room
Recently, a New Jersey judge ruled that a mother can keep the father out of the delivery room while she is in labor, reports the South Jersey Times. The mother and father were unmarried and estranged, and the Court ruled that the mother has a right to privacy. The Judge stated that “…the father’s unwelcome presence could cause additional stress on the mother and child….” The Judge was also concerned that allowing the father in the delivery room against the mother’s wishes would make the mother’s interest “subjugated to that of the father’s.”
As of now, there have been no court decisions questioning the father’s right to attend delivery in the District of Columbia or Virginia. The New Jersey decision makes the assertion that it is the woman’s decision.