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Family Law Act 1986
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5Power of court to refuse application or stay proceedings.
(1)A court in England and Wales which has jurisdiction to make a custody order may refuse an application for the order in any case where the matter in question has already been determined in proceedings outside England and Wales.
(2)Where, at any stage of the proceedings on an application made to a court in England and Wales for a custody order, or for the variation of a custody order, it appears to the court—
(a)that proceedings with respect to the matters to which the application relates are continuing outside England and Wales, or
(b)that it would be more appropriate for those matters to be determined in proceedings to be taken outside England and Wales,
the court may stay the proceedings on the application.
(3)The court may remove a stay granted in accordance with subsection (2) above if it appears to the court that there has been unreasonable delay in the taking or prosecution of the other proceedings referred to in that subsection, or that those proceedings are stayed, sisted or concluded.
(4)Nothing in this section shall affect any power exercisable apart from this section to refuse an application or to grant or remove a stay.
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