Yesterday, the French supreme court for private and criminal matters (Cour de cassation) held that an American judgment permitting the adoption of a child by the female partner of the mother was not contrary to French public policy and could be recognized in France.

The women were two doctors living in the United State. They had entered into a domestic partnership. The mother was a American national, while her partner was French. After the child was born, the Superior Court of the county of Dekalb, Georgia, permitted the adoption of the child by the French female partner of the mother in 1999. As a consequence, the birth certificate mentioned that the American woman was the mother, and that the French woman was a parent.

The Paris court of appeal had denied recognition to the judgment. The appeal against their decision is allowed by the Cour de cassation which rules that the American judgement is recognised. The French text of the judgment of theCour de cassation can be found here.

This decision is presented as historic by French newspaper Le Monde.