Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Status of Children Act 1974 - SECT 10A

PART II STATUS OF CHILDREN-MEDICAL PROCEDURES

Interpretation

10A. Interpretation



(1) A reference in this Part to a married woman includes a reference to a
woman who is living with a man as his wife on a bona fide domestic basis
although not married to him.

(2) A reference, however expressed, in this Part to the husband or wife of a
person-

   (a)  is, in the case where the person is living with another person of the
        opposite sex as his or her spouse on a bona fide domestic basis
        although not married to the other person, a reference to that other
        person; and

   (b)  does not, in that case, include a reference to the spouse (if any) to
        whom the person is actually married.

(3) In this Part-





embryo includes an embryo within the meaning of the
Infertility Treatment Act 1995, as in force immediately before the
commencement of section 5(2)(a) of the Health Legislation (Research Involving
Human Embryos and Prohibition of Human Cloning) Act 2003;

ovum in the process of fertilisation means an ovum at any stage of human
development from the commencement of penetration of an ovum by sperm up to but
not including syngamy;

semen includes sperm;

syngamy has the same meaning as in the Infertility Treatment Act 1995, as in
force immediately before the commencement of section 5(2)(a) of the Health
Legislation (Research Involving Human Embryos and Prohibition of Human
Cloning) Act 2003. Note The Infertility Treatment Act 1995 defined embryo and
syngamy as follows- embryo means any stage of human embryonic development at
and from syngamy; syngamy means that stage of development of a fertilised
oocyte where the chromosomes derived from the male and female pronuclei align
on the mitotic spindle.