Adoption (Intercountry Aspects) Act (Northern Ireland) 2001

Regulations giving effect to Convention

1.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, regulations made by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (“the Department”) may make provision for giving effect to the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption, concluded at the Hague on 29th May 1993 (“the Convention”).

(2) The text of the Convention (so far as material) is set out in the Schedule.

(3) Regulations under this section may—

(a) apply, with or without modifications, any statutory provision relating to adoption;

(b) provide that any person who contravenes any provision of the regulations is to be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or both; and

(c) make such incidental, supplementary, consequential or transitional provision as appears to the Department to be expedient.

(4) Regulations under this section shall be subject to negative resolution.

(5) Any power to make subordinate legislation under or for the purposes of any statutory provision relating to adoption includes power to do so with a view to giving effect to the provisions of the Convention.