The Acting Principal Family Court judge wants gay and lesbian couples to be given the same adoption rights as their straight counterparts.
Judge Paul von Dadelszen says the law is out of date and research shows that children are not in anyway disadvantaged when brought up in a gay household.
Von Dadelszen says New Zealand is lagging behind other countries including England and Canada on such adoptions.
He says the European Court of Human Rights recently ruled that a lesbian couple from France should not be prevented from adopting a child.
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