The Intercountry Adoption (Hague Convention) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Receipt of Article 15 report from RSCA

26.—(1) This regulation applies where–

(a) the Central Authority receives a report (“the Article 15 report”) from the RSCA which has been prepared for the purposes of Article 15 of the Convention(1);

(b) the Article 15 report relates to a prospective adopter who is habitually resident in that receiving State (“a Convention prospective adopter”); and

(c) the Convention prospective adopter wishes to adopt a child who is habitually resident in Northern Ireland.

(2) If the Central Authority is satisfied that the Convention prospective adopter meets the requirements–

(a) in respect of age and marital status as provided for in Articles 14 and 15 of the 1987 Order; and

(b) prescribed in regulation 30(a),

the Central Authority must consult the Convention list and may, if the Central Authority considers it appropriate, consult any Convention list maintained by another Central Authority within the British Islands.

(3) The Central Authority may pass a copy of the Article 15 report to any other Central Authority within the British Islands for the purpose of enabling that Central Authority to consult its Convention list.

(4) Where the Central Authority identifies a child on the Convention list who may be suitable to be adopted by the Convention prospective adopter, the Central Authority must send the Article 15 report to the HSS trust which referred the child’s details to the Central Authority.

(5) The HSS trust must consider the Article 15 report and, where it considers that it may be appropriate to place the child for adoption with the Convention prospective adopter, it must refer the proposed placement for adoption to the adoption panel together with–

(a) the Article 15 report;

(b) the documents and report referred to in regulation 23(2);

(c) its observations on the proposed placement; and

(d) any other relevant information about the child.

(1)

Article 15 provides for the RSCA, if satisfied that the applicants are eligible and suitable to adopt, to prepare a report including information about their identity, eligibility and suitability to adopt, background, family and medical history, social environment, reasons for adoption, ability to undertake an intercountry adoption, as well as the characteristics of the child for whom they would be qualified to care