What it does
The Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008 (Vic) is Victoria's framework law for the medical, ethical, and legal aspects of assisted reproductive treatment (ART). It regulates who may undergo treatment, how consent must be obtained and documented, what types of procedures are permitted or prohibited, how gametes and embryos may be stored and used, how surrogacy must be approved, how ART providers are registered and regulated, and how donor-conceived persons may access information about their genetic origins.
The Act's guiding principles (section 5) include the welfare and interests of persons born as a result of treatment, the right of donor-conceived persons to know their genetic heritage, the health and wellbeing of participants, the importance of informed consent, and the principle that reproductive material should not be used commercially. These principles guide how discretions under the Act are exercised.
The current version incorporates amendments up to 1 January 2025, including substantial new compliance machinery introduced by the 2024 amending Act, covering prohibition notices, enforceable undertakings, and information production notices.