Adoption Act 1976 · GlobalLawDB

Contents

8Inactive or defunct adoption societies.#

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9Regulation of adoption agencies.#

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9AIndependent review of determinations#

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11Restriction on arranging adoptions and placing of children.#

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3Approval of adoption societies.#

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4Withdrawal of approval.#

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5Procedure on refusal to approve, or withdrawal of approval from, adoption societies.#

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1Establishment of Adoption Service.#

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2Local authorities’ social services.#

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6Duty to promote welfare of child.#

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7Religious upbringing of adopted child.#

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22Notification to local authority of adoption application.#

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23Reports where child placed by agency.#

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24Restrictions on making adoption orders.#

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25Interim orders.#

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18Freeing child for adoption.#

(1)Subject to paragraph (2), a person who sells to a person^note. . . under the age of 18 any tobacco product, herbal smoking product or cigarette papers, whether for his own use or not, shall be guilty of an offence.

(a)

(b)

(2)The property and income transferred under paragraph (1) shall be held by the Health and Social Services Board and administered by that Board in accordance with the terms of the agreement made between the authority concerned and the organisation or, as the case may be, the trustees.

(a)

(b)

(2A)Any practising solicitor shall be entitled to give advice or assistance or to act for persons receiving legal aid unless he is for the time being excluded by an order under Article 51B(1) or (3) of the Solicitors (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 from selection under paragraph (3).

(3)An agreement made under section 42(4)^note of, or under section 28^note of, the said Acts of 1971 may be varied in the like manner and subject to the like consents and conditions as are provided for in, or by virtue of, that section.

(4)

(5)Nothing in paragraphs (3) and (4) shall be taken as depriving any person or body of persons of the protection of any statutory provision or, save as provided in paragraph (4), as conferring any larger right to recover money for the benefit of the legal aid fund in respect of any expenses than the person receiving legal aid, advice or assistance would have had if the expenses had been incurred by him.

(6)Regulations shall be subject to negative resolution.

(7)References in this Article and Article 17 to legal aid include references to assistance by way of representation.

(a)

(i)is not resident in Northern Ireland; or

(ii)is concerned in a representative, fiduciary or official capacity; or

(b)

(8)The Law Society shall as soon as possible after the end of each financial year make an annual report to the Lord Chancellor on the operation and finance of this Part during that year.

19Progress reports to former parent.#

(a)

(b)

(4)

(a)

(b)

20Revocation of s. 18 order.#

(a)

(b)

(a)

(b)

(i)is not resident in Northern Ireland; or

(ii)is concerned in a representative, fiduciary or official capacity; or

(c)for the purpose of facilitating the proper performance by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal of its functions under the Solicitors (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 in respect of a complaint made to it under Article 44(1)(g) of that Order or in connection with the making of an order under Article 51B(1) or (3) of that Order.

(i)is not resident in Northern Ireland; or

(ii)is concerned in a representative, fiduciary or official capacity; or

(iii)is concerned jointly with or has the same interest as other persons, whether receiving legal aid, advice or assistance or not; or

(iia)any care order, within the meaning of that Act, and

(3A)Where a company purchases one or more of its own shares in circumstances in which Article 172A applies—

(a)

(i)is not resident in Northern Ireland; or

(ii)is concerned in a representative, fiduciary or official capacity; or

(b)

(4)

(a)

(b)

21Variation of section 18 order so as to substitute one adoption agency for another.#

(a)

(b)

The making of adoption orders

12Adoption orders.#

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13Child to live with adopters before order made.#

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14Adoption by married couple.#

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15Adoption by one person.#

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16Parental agreement.#

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17Convention adoption orders.#

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Part III · Care and Protection of Children Awaiting Adoption

Protected children

32Meaning of “protected child”.#

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33Duty of local authorities to secure well-being of protected children.#

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34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .#

35Notices and information to be given to local authorities.#

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36Offences relating to protected children.#

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37Miscellaneous provisions relating to protected children.#

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Restrictions on removal of children

27Restrictions on removal where adoption agreed or application made under s. 18.#

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28Restrictions on removal where applicant has provided home for 5 years.#

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29Return of child taken away in breach of s. 27 or 28.#

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30Return of children placed for adoption by adoption agencies.#

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31Application of s. 30 where child not placed for adoption.#

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Part IV · Status of Adopted Children

38Meaning of “adoption” in Part IV.#

(1)In this Part “adoption” means adoption—

(a)by an adoption order;

(b)by an order made under the ^noteChildren Act 1975, the ^noteAdoption Act 1958, the ^noteAdoption Act 1950 or any enactment repealed by the Adoption Act 1950;

(c)by an order made in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or in any of the Channel Islands;

(cc)which is a Convention adoption;

(d)which is an overseas adoption; or

(e)which is an adoption recognised by the law of England and Wales and effected under the law of any other country,

and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly.

(2)The definition of adoption includes, where the context admits, an adoption effected before the passing of the ^noteChildren Act 1975 but does not include an adoption of a kind mentioned in paragraphs (c) to (e) of subsection (1) effected on or after the day which is the appointed day for the purposes of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002, and the date of an adoption effected by an order is the date of the making of the order.

39Status conferred by adoption.#

(1)An adopted child shall be treated in law—

(a)where the adopters are a married couple, as if he had been born as a child of the marriage (whether or not he was in fact born after the marriage was solemnized);

(b)in any other case, as if he had been born to the adopter in wedlock (but not as a child of any actual marriage of the adopter).

(2)An adopted child shall, subject to subsections (3) and (3A), be treated in law as if he were not the child of any person other than the adopters or adopter.

(3)In the case of a child adopted by one of its natural parents as sole adoptive parent, subsection (2) has no effect as respects entitlement to property depending on relationship to that parent, or as respects anything else depending on that relationship.

(3A)Where, in the case of a Convention adoption, the High Court is satisfied, on an application under this subsection—

(a)that under the law of the country in which the adoption was effected the adoption is not a full adoption;

(b)that the consents referred to in Article 4(c) and (d) of the Convention have not been given for a full adoption, or that the United Kingdom is not the receiving State (within the meaning of Article 2 of the Convention); and

(c)that it would be more favourable to the adopted child for a direction to be given under this subsection,

the Court may direct that subsection (2) shall not apply, or shall not apply to such extent as may be specified in the direction.

(3B)The following provisions of the ^noteFamily Law Act 1986—

(a)section 59 (provisions relating to the Attorney General); and

(b)section 60 (supplementary provision as to declarations),

shall apply in relation to, and to an application for, a direction under subsection (3A) as they apply in relation to, and to an application for, a declaration under Part III of that Act.

(4)It is hereby declared that this section prevents an adopted child from being illegitimate.

(5)This section has effect—

(a)in the case of an adoption before 1st January 1976, from that date, and

(b)in the case of any other adoption, from the date of the adoption.

(6)Subject to the provisions of this Part, this section—

(a)applies for the construction of enactments or instruments passed or made before the adoption or later, and so applies subject to any contrary indication; and

(b)has effect as respects things done, or events occurring, after the adoption, or after 31st December 1975, whichever is the later.

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41Adoptive relatives.#

A relationship existing by virtue of section 39 may be referred to as an adoptive relationship, and—

(a)a male adopter may be referred to as the adoptive father;

(b)a female adopter may be referred to as the adoptive mother;

(c)any other relative of any degree under an adoptive relationship may be referred to as an adoptive relative of that degree.

but this section does not prevent the term “parent”, or any other term not qualified by the word “adoptive” being treated as including an adoptive relative.

42Rules of construction for instruments concerning property.#

(1)Subject to any contrary indication, the rules of construction contained in this section apply to any instrument, other than an existing instrument, so far as it contains a disposition of property.

(2)In applying section 39(1) to a disposition which depends on the date of birth of a child or children of the adoptive parent or parents, the disposition shall be construed as if—

(a)the adopted child had been born on the date of adoption,

(b)two or more children adopted on the same date had been born on that date in the order of their actual births.

but this does not affect any reference to the age of a child.

(3)Examples of phrases in wills on which subsection (2) can operate are—

(4)Section 39(2) does not prejudice any interest vested in possession in the adopted child before the adoption, or any interest expectant (whether immediately or not) upon an interest so vested.

(5)Where it is necessary to determine for the purposes of a disposition of property effected by an instrument whether a woman can have a child, it shall be presumed that once a woman has attained the age of 55 years she will not adopt a child after execution of the instrument, and, notwithstanding section 39, if she does so that child shall not be treated as her child or as the child of her spouse (if any) for the purposes of the instrument.

(6)In this section, “instrument” includes a private Act settling property, but not any other enactment.

43Dispositions depending on date of birth.#

(1)Where a disposition depends on the date of birth of a child who was born illegitimate and who is adopted by one of the natural parents as sole adoptive parent, section 42(2) does not affect entitlement under Part II of the ^noteFamily Law Reform Act 1969 (illegitimate children).

(2)Subsection (1) applies for example where—

(a)a testator dies in 1976 bequeathing a legacy to his eldest grandchild living at a specified time,

(b)his daughter has an illegitimate child in 1977 who is the first grandchild,

(c)his married son has a child in 1978,

(d)subsequently the illegitimate child is adopted by the mother as sole adoptive parent,

and in all those cases the daughter’s child remains the eldest grandchild of the testator throughout.

44Property devolving with peerages etc.#

(1)An adoption does not affect the descent of any peerage or dignity or title of honour.

(2)An adoption shall not affect the devolution of any property limited (expressly or not) to devolve (as nearly as the law permits) along with any peerage or dignity or title of honour.

(3)Subsection (2) applies only if and so far as a contrary intention is not expressed in the instrument, and shall have effect subject to the terms of the instrument.

45Protection of trustees and personal representatives.#

(1)A trustee or personal representative is not under a duty, by virtue of the law relating to trusts or the administration of estates, to enquire, before conveying or distributing any property, whether any adoption has been effected or revoked if that fact could affect entitlement to the property.

(2)A trustee or personal representative shall not be liable to any person by reason of a conveyance or distribution of the property made without regard to any such fact if he has not received notice of the fact before the conveyance or distribution.

(3)This section does not prejudice the right of a person to follow the property, or any property representing it, into the hands of another person, other than a purchaser, who has received it.

46Meaning of “disposition”.#

(1)In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires,—• “disposition” includes the conferring of a power of appointment and any other disposition of an interest in or right over property;• “power of appointment” includes any discretionary power to transfer a beneficial interest in property without the furnishing of valuable consideration.

(2)This Part applies to an oral disposition as if contained in an instrument made when the disposition was made.

(3)For the purposes of this Part, the death of the testator is the date at which a will or codicil is to be regarded as made.

(4)For the purposes of this Part, provisions of the law of intestate succession applicable to the estate of a deceased person shall be treated as if contained in an instrument executed by him (while of full capacity) immediately before his death.

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47Miscellaneous enactments.#

(1)Section 39 does not apply for the purposes of section 1 of and Schedule 1 to the Marriage Act 1949 or Schedule 1 to the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (prohibited degrees of kindred and affinity),or sections 64 and 65 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (sex with an adult relative).

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ^note section 39 does not apply for the purposes of any provision of—

(a)the British Nationality Act 1981

(b)the ^noteImmigration Act 1971,

(c)any instrument having effect under an enactment within paragraph (a) or (b), or

(d)any other provision of the law for the time being in force which determines British citizenship, British Dependent Territories citizenship, the status of a British National (Overseas) or British Overseas citizenship.

(3)^note. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

48Pensions.#

Section 39(2) does not affect entitlement to a pension which is payable to or for the benefit of a child and is in payment at the time of his adoption.

49Insurance.#

Where a child is adopted whose natural parent has effected an insurance with a friendly society or a collecting society or an industrial company for the payment on the death of the child of money for funeral expenses, the rights and liabilities under the policy shall by virtue of the adoption be transferred to the adoptive parents who shall for the purposes of the enactments relating to such societies and companies be treated as the person who took out the policy.

Part V · Registration and Revocation of Adoption Orders andConvention Adoptions

50Adopted Children Register.#

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51Disclosure of birth records of adopted children.#

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51AAdoption Contact Register.#

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52Revocation of adoptions on legitimation.#

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53Annulment etc. of overseas adoptions.#

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54Provisions supplementary to ss. 52(3) and 53.#

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Part VI · Miscellaneous and Supplemental

55Adoption of children abroad.#

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56Restriction on removal of children for adoption outside Great Britain.#

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56ARestriction on bringing children into the United Kingdom#

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57Prohibition on certain payments.#

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57APermitted allowances.#

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58Restriction on advertisements.#

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58AInformation concerning adoption.#

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59Effect of determination and orders made in Scotland and overseas in adoption proceedings.#

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60Evidence of adoption in Scotland and Northern Ireland.#

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61Evidence of agreement and consent.#

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62Courts.#

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63Appeals etc.#

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64Proceedings to be in private.#

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65Duties of officers of the Service#

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65A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .#

66Rules of procedure.#

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67Orders, rules and regulations.#

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68Offences by bodies corporate.#

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69Services of notices etc.#

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70Nationality.#

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71Internal law of a country.#

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72Interpretation.#

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73Transitional provisions, amendments and repeals.#

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74Short title, commencement and extent.#

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Schedule 1 · Registration of Adoptions

(1)^note. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Schedule 2 · Transitional Provisions and Savings

(1)^note. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(7). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(8). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rights relating to property

(6)

(1)Section 39—

(a)does not apply to an existing instrument or enactment in so far as it contains a disposition of property, and

(b)does not apply to any public general Act in its application to any disposition of property in an existing instrument or enactment.

(2)Sections 16 and 17 of the Adoption Act 1958, and provisions containing references to those sections shall continue to apply in relation to dispositions of property effected by existing instruments notwithstanding the repeal of those sections, and such provisions, by the ^noteChildren Act 1975.

(3)Section 46 shall apply in relation to this paragraph as if it were contained in Part IV.

Schedule 3 · Consequential Amendments

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Schedule 4 · Repeals

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.