An infertile British woman lost a legal bid today to have children using frozen embryos fertilised by a former partner who does not want her to conceive with his offspring.
The European Court of Human Rights rejected Natallie Evans' submission that her human rights had been infringed by British court rulings that said former fiancée Howard Johnston was entitled to block her use of the embryos.
Speaking after the today's decision, Ms Evans (34) said she was disappointed and would seek to have the case re-examined.
She also appealed to Mr Johnston. "I would still prefer not to use the courts. Howard may feel it is too late for him to change his mind, but it is not. Howard please think about it," she told reporters.
"Lets stop going through the courts and let me have what I want."
But at a separate news conference, Mr Johnston said he was pleased with the European court decision. "It seems that common sense has prevailed. The key thing for me was just to be able to decide when, and if, I would start a family," he said.
Judges in both Britain's High Court and Appeal Court had said both the man and the woman must give their consent for the use of embryos right up until they are implanted.
The European court judgment said: "The court did not find that the absence of a power to override a genetic parent's withdrawal of consent, even in the exceptional circumstances of the applicant's case, was such as to upset the fair balance required by Article 8 (on human rights)."