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

PART I GENERAL

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Intercountry Adoption (Hague Convention) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 and shall come into operation on 1st June 2003.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations–

“the 1987 Order” means the Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987;

“the Act” means the Adoption (Intercountry Aspects) Act (Northern Ireland) 2001;

“the Adoption Agencies Regulations” means the Adoption Agencies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989(1) subject to the modifications set out in Schedule 4;

“adoption agency” means an HSS trust or a registered adoption society which is an accredited body for the purposes of the Convention(2);

“adoption panel” means a panel established in accordance with Regulation 5 or 5A of the Adoption Agencies Regulations;

“British Islands” has the same meaning as in Article 58ZA of the 1987 Order;

“Central Authority”(3) means the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety;

“contact order” has the same meaning as in Article 8(1) of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995(4);

“Education and Library Board” means a board established under Article 3 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986(5);

“eligible to adopt”, except in regulation 6(4)(a), has the meaning given in regulation 4(1);

“entry clearance” has the same meaning as in the Immigration Act 1971(6);

“medical practitioner” has the same meaning as in the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(7);

“prospective adopter” means a married couple or a person who makes an application under regulation 3;

“receiving State” has the meaning given in Article 2(1) of the Convention;

“relevant HSS trust” in Part II has the same meaning given in regulation 13;

“RSCA” means, in relation to a Convention country other than the United Kingdom, the Central Authority of the receiving State;

“SOCA” means, in relation to a Convention country other than the United Kingdom, the Central Authority of the State of origin;

“State of origin” has the same meaning as in Article 2 of the Convention.

(1)

S.R. 1989 No. 253; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1994 No. 65

(2)

See section 2(3) of the Act

(3)

Under Section 2(1) of the 2001 Act, the functions under the Convention of the Central Authority are to be discharged in Northern Ireland by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

(4)

S.I. 1995/755 (N.I. 2)

(5)

S.I. 1986/594 (N.I. 3)

(6)

1971 c. 77

(7)

SI 1972/1265 (N.I. 14)