Reforming surrogacy law: what can we learn from children's artwork?

Abstract It is rare for children to be included in law reform, even regarding laws that concern them. At a time when surrogacy law is being debated both domestically and globally, this article presents data from the Children's Voices in Surrogacy Law project, offering unique insights into children's lived experiences of surrogacy through artwork. It is argued that the artwork's themes support recent recommendations made by the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission and rebut some concerns raised by their critics. Drawing on legal consciousness studies, the article argues that engaging with children through artwork is an effective way to understand how law shapes children's everyday lives. It presents an innovative participatory method for exploring children's perceptions and experiences of law, drawing on visual methodologies, and reflects on the value and limitations of such a method.