The Government is opposing a transgender man’s battle to have his child become the first in the UK legally not to have a mother.

The individual – named only as TT for legal reasons – was born a woman but was legally recognised as a man by the Gender Recognition Panel. Subsequently, TT underwent successful fertility treatment and was confirmed to be pregnant, despite his new male status.

Following the birth of his child, the Registrar General said TT must be registered as its “mother” on the birth certificate as it was a legal requirement.

The man has now launched a High Court battle against the Registrar General and it is understood that lawyers on behalf of the Government will on Wednesday begin outlining their case against TT’s attempt to register himself as the child’s “father” or “parent”.

If his claim is successful, it would be the first time a child in the UK would not legally have a mother.

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, the Minister for Women and Equalities, and Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, are listed as interested parties in the case.

At the High Court, before Sir Andrew McFarlane, the president of the Family Division, barristers representing TT argued that it was “discrimination” to force their transgender client to be recognised as the child’s mother.