Germany passes paternity test law

BERLIN, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- The German parliament has passed a law providing a legal framework for men to request tests to establish paternity.

The law, passed Friday by the Bundestag, provides men with a method of requesting a paternity test without approval from the child's mother or a formal legal challenge, Deutsche Welle reported Friday.

The new law also allows men to retain their paternal rights regardless of the test's outcome.

German Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries said the law comes at a time when an estimated 20,000 secret DNA tests are taken each year to establish paternity. He said the tests are problematic because they are not recognized by the country's legal system.

Federal Commissioner for Data Protection Peter Schaar praised the legislation as a "sensible balance serving the interests of the child, mother and father."