Premier Gordon Campbell defended his government's seizure of three of the surviving sextuplets born last month in Vancouver, and said Thursday the B.C. government will continue to look out for their well-being.

The province took custody of the three babies in the past week, allowing two to receive blood transfusions, despite the objections of their parents. Their lawyer is now seeking a judicial review of how the case was handled.

"We live in a country where we respect religious freedoms, where we respect religious beliefs," said Campbell. "But we have an obligation to protect children in British Columbia and to protect their lives. We act, I think, with the children's best interests in mind. We will continue to do that.

"And I think that's a responsibility that we must exercise while someone isn't yet of the age where they can make those decisions themselves."

The sextuplets were born at B.C. Women's Hospital in early January, and the parents are Jehovah's Witnesses. The religious group bans transfusions.

Two of the six died before the province seized the surviving babies.

Parents regain custody

The province officially relinquished custody of the children at a hearing in B.C. provincial court Thursday morning.

Shane Brady, lawyer for the parents of six babies born in B.C., says the province should not get involved in the medical treatment of the four surviving sextuplets.
(CBC)

Shane Brady, the lawyer for the family, said the parents had a constitutional right to a hearing before the government seized their children and made the decision to allow them to have the transfusions.

Brady said all four remaining babies were in stable condition, and the parents feel their health can be managed without government intervention.

"They hope the B.C. government will stay out of the matter, and leave it between the doctors and the parents to continue to get competent medical care for these children, but that also respects their religious conscience."

The two sides will be back in court in three weeks.