France’s highest civil court, the Court of Cassation, has ruled that married lesbian couples may now adopt their partner’s child born abroad through in vitro fertilisation or other medically assisted reproduction even though it is banned in the country

France only permits assisted reproduction for heterosexual couples who been together at least two years. The restriction has forced many homosexual couples to access fertility treatment abroad.

Upon return to France, French law recognised only the birth mother as the legal parent.

The decision comes after the legalisation of gay marriage in France last year, which sparked huge protests across the country.

Opponents of the law, have organised protests against assisted reproduction in October.

They claim it paves the way for surrogate parenthood and would lead to the commercialisation of the birth process.