The mother of the child did not know which of the two men was the biological father, a court in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador was told.

The landmark case was brought after the province insisted only two people could be named on the child’s birth certificate, Globalnews.ca reports.

Mr Justice Robert Fowler said the province’s Children’s Law Act did not anticipate the “now complex family relationships that are common and accepted in our society”.

He said it was in the best interest of the child to recognise all three adults as the parents.