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Paternity testing

Father and son

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for accrediting bodies that may carry out scientific tests for parentage in accordance with a direction made by a court. A list of the currently accredited bodies is listed below.

Courts have a statutory power to direct a scientific test to ascertain the parentage of a child in civil proceedings under section 20 of the Family Law Reform Act 1969 (but section 20 directions are not given in every case where parentage is an issue). If the court makes such a 'section 20 direction', they must choose a tester from the list of accredited bodies.

Details of how to apply for accreditation, the application form and further background information on court-directed paternity testing are on the HMCS website.

List of bodies that may carry out court-directed parentage tests

Name Address Telephone Fax Email
Alpha BioLaboratories Ltd Bioscience Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB 0845 505 0001 0845 505 0002 email
Anglia DNA Services Ltd Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UH 08454 565 365 01603 450 945 email
Barts and The London, Queen Mary University of London Haematology ICMS, Barts and The London, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT 020 7882 2274 020 7882 2183 email
Complement Genomics Ltd. (trading as dadcheck ®) Unit 128i Bioscience Centre, Business and Innovation Centre, Sunderland, SR5 2TA 0191 516 6500/6632 0191 516 6005 email
Crucial Genetics F1 House, Road 4, Winsford Industrial Estate, Winsford, Cheshire, CW7 3QN 0870 8888 088 0870 8888 089 email
Eurofins Medigenomix GmbH Fraunhoferstr 22, D82152, Planegg/Martinsried, Germany 0800 321 3236 020 8711 6700 email
The Forensic Science Service Ltd Sales and Operational Planning Office, Trident Court, 2920 Solihull Parkway, Birmingham Business Park, Birmingham, B37 7YN 0845 120 7272 0121 770 9289 email
LGC Diagnostics Department LGC Building, Queens Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 ONJ 020 8943 8400 020 8943 8401 email
Orchid Cellmark Ltd Blacklands Way, Abingdon Business Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 1YX 01235 528 609 01235 528 141 email

Contact us:

Sharon Rowand
Family Relationships 2 Branch
Family Law and Justice, Ministry of Justice
Post Point 2.03
102 Petty France
London SW1H 9AJ



email or telephone 020 3334 3148, fax 020 3334 3147