The Justice Ministry said Tuesday that it plans to consider revising the Civil Code to legally recognize the parentage of babies born with the use of sperm or ova donated by close relatives.
Justice Minister Masahiko Komura told a news conference he will ask the Legislative Council to examine the revision at its general assembly session on Feb. 16.
The current Civil Code does not address the issue of babies born through methods such as artificial insemination, making the status of children born through this method uncertain.