A transgender man fighting to be named the father on his child's birth certificate has lost his Court of Appeal fight.

Journalist Freddy McConnell, from Deal, who carried his child had argued forcing him to register as the child’s 'mother' breaches his human right to respect for a private and family life.

Following a trial in September, the most senior family court judge in England and Wales, Sir Andrew McFarlane concluded that people who had given birth were legally mothers, regardless of their gender.

He said there was a “material difference between a person’s gender and their status as a parent”.

Mr McConnell mounted an appeal in September but today learned that a judge has upheld the decision - adding any change to the law is a matter for Parliament.

The three appeal judges were Lord Burnett, the Lord Chief Justice and most senior judge in England and Wales, Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Singh.

Lawyers say the child would have been the first person born in England and Wales not to legally have a mother if Mr McConnell had won his appeal.

Mr McConnell is a single parent who was born a woman but now lives as a man following surgery.

He was biologically able to get pregnant and give birth but legally became a man when the child was born.

He wanted to be registered as father or parent but a registrar told him that the law required people who give birth to be registered as mothers.

Mr McConnell took legal action against the General Register Office, which administers the registration of births and deaths in England and Wales.

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