Welfare Reform Act 2009

Children Act 1989 (c. 41)

21 (1) Section 4 of the Children Act 1989 (acquisition of parental responsibility by father) is amended as follows.

(2) At the beginning of subsection (1)(a) insert “except where subsection (1C) applies,”.

(3) In subsection (1A), after paragraph (a) insert—

“(aa) regulations under section 2C, 2D, 2E, 10B or 10C of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953;”.

(4) After subsection (1B) insert—

“(1C) The father of a child does not acquire parental responsibility by virtue of subsection (1)(a) if, before he became registered as the child’s father under the enactment in question—

(a) the court considered an application by him for an order under subsection (1)(c) in relation to the child but did not make such an order, or

(b) in a case where he had previously acquired parental responsibility for the child, the court ordered that he was to cease to have that responsibility.”