4Acquisition of parental responsibility by father
(1)Where a child’s father and mother were not married to each other at the time of his birth—
(a)the court may, on the application of the father, order that he shall have parental responsibility for the child; or
(b)the father and mother may by agreement (“a parental responsibility agreement”) provide for the father to have parental responsibility for the child.
(2)No parental responsibility agreement shall have effect for the purposes of this Act unless—
(a)it is made in the form prescribed by regulations made by the Lord Chancellor; and
(b)where regulations are made by the Lord Chancellor prescribing the manner in which such agreements must be recorded, it is recorded in the prescribed manner.
(3)Subject to section 12(4), an order under subsection (1)(a), or a parental responsibility agreement, may only be brought to an end by an order of the court made on the application—
(a)of any person who has parental responsibility for the child; or
(b)with leave of the court, of the child himself.
(4)The court may only grant leave under subsection (3)(b) if it is satisfied that the child has sufficient understanding to make the proposed application.