Search Legislation

The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

 Help about what version

What Version

 Help about advanced features

Advanced Features

More Resources

Changes over time for: Section 63

 Help about opening options

Alternative versions:

Changes to legislation:

The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, Section 63 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 19 March 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.

View outstanding changes

Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Order associated Parts and Chapters:

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Order (including any effects on those provisions):

Orders for emergency protection of childrenN.I.

63.—(1) Where any person ( “the applicant”) applies to the court for an order to be made under this Article with respect to a child, the court may make the order if, but only if, it is satisfied that—

(a)there is reasonable cause to believe that the child is likely to suffer significant harm if—

(i)he is not removed to accommodation provided by or on behalf of the applicant; or

(ii)he does not remain in the place in which he is then being accommodated; or

(b)in the case of an application made by an authority—

(i)inquiries are being made with respect to the child under Article 66(1)(b); and

(ii)those inquiries are being frustrated by access to the child being unreasonably refused to a person authorised to seek access and the applicant has reasonable cause to believe that access to the child is required as a matter of urgency; or

(c)in the case of an application made by an authorised person—

(i)the applicant has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm;

(ii)the applicant is making inquiries with respect to the child's welfare; and

(iii)those inquiries are being frustrated by access to the child being unreasonably refused to a person authorised to seek access and the applicant has reasonable cause to believe that access to the child is required as a matter of urgency.

(2) In this Article—

(a)“authorised person” means a person who is an authorised person for the purposes of Part V; and

(b)“person authorised to seek access” means—

(i)in the case of an application by an authority, an officer of the authority or a person authorised by the authority to act on its behalf in connection with the inquiries; or

(ii)in the case of an application by an authorised person, that person.

(3) Any person—

(a)seeking access to a child in connection with inquiries of a kind mentioned in paragraph (1); and

(b)purporting to be a person authorised to do so,

shall, on being asked to do so, produce some duly authenticated document as evidence that he is such a person.

(4) While an order under this Article (an “emergency protection order”) is in force it—

(a)operates as a direction to any person who is in a position to do so to comply with any request to produce the child to the applicant;

(b)authorises—

(i)the removal of the child at any time to accommodation provided by or on behalf of the applicant and his being kept there; or

(ii)the prevention of the child's removal from any hospital, or other place, in which he was being accommodated immediately before the making of the order; and

(c)gives the applicant parental responsibility for the child.

(5) Where an emergency protection order is in force with respect to a child, the applicant—

(a)shall only exercise the power given by virtue of paragraph (4)(b) in order to safeguard the welfare of the child;

(b)shall take, and shall only take, such action in meeting his parental responsibility for the child as is reasonably required to safeguard or promote the welfare of the child (having regard in particular to the duration of the order); and

(c)shall comply with the requirements of any regulations made by the Department for the purposes of this paragraph.

(6) Where the court makes an emergency protection order, it may give such directions (if any) as it considers appropriate with respect to—

(a)the contact which is, or is not, to be allowed between the child and any named person;

(b)the medical or psychiatric examination or other assessment of the child.

(7) Where any direction is given under paragraph (6)(b), the child may, if he is of sufficient understanding to make an informed decision, refuse to submit to the examination or other assessment.

(8) A direction under paragraph (6)(a) may impose conditions and one under paragraph (6)(b) may be to the effect that there is to be—

(a)no such examination or assessment; or

(b)no such examination or assessment unless the court directs otherwise.

(9) A direction under paragraph (6) may be—

(a)given when the emergency protection order is made or at any time while it is in force; and

(b)varied at any time on the application of any person falling within any class of person prescribed by rules of court for the purposes of this paragraph.

(10) Where an emergency protection order is in force with respect to a child and—

(a)the applicant has exercised the power given by paragraph (4)(b)(i) but it appears to him that it is safe for the child to be returned; or

(b)the applicant has exercised the power given by paragraph (4)(b)(ii) but it appears to him that it is safe for the child to be allowed to be removed from the place in question,

he shall return the child or (as the case may be) allow him to be removed.

(11) Where he is required by paragraph (10) to return the child the applicant shall—

(a)return him to the care of the person from whose care he was removed; or

(b)if that is not reasonably practicable, return him to the care of—

(i)a parent of his;

(ii)any person who is not a parent of his but who has parental responsibility for him; or

(iii)such other person as the applicant (with the agreement of the court) considers appropriate.

(12) Where the applicant has been required by paragraph (10) to return the child, or to allow him to be removed, he may again exercise his powers with respect to the child (at any time while the emergency protection order remains in force) if it appears to him that a change in the circumstances of the case makes it necessary for him to do so.

(13) Where an emergency protection order has been made with respect to a child, the applicant shall, subject to any direction given under paragraph (6), allow the child reasonable contact with—

(a)his parents;

(b)any person who is not a parent of his but who has parental responsibility for him;

(c)any person with whom he was living immediately before the making of the order;

(d)any person in whose favour a contact order is in force with respect to him;

(e)any person who is allowed to have contact with the child by virtue of an order under Article 53; and

(f)any person acting on behalf of any of those persons.

(14) Wherever it is reasonably practicable to do so, an emergency protection order shall name the child; and where it does not name him it shall describe him as clearly as possible.

(15) A person shall be guilty of an offence if he intentionally obstructs any person exercising the power under paragraph (4)(b) to remove, or prevent the removal of, a child.

(16) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (15) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

You have chosen to open The Whole Order

The Whole Order you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Order as a PDF

The Whole Order you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open the Whole Order

The Whole Order you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

See additional information alongside the content

Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.