Adoption of Children Act 1949

14 Interpretation and construction

(1) In this Act the following expressions have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say—

• " adoption order " means an order under section one of the principal Act and includes, in sections eight, nine, ten, eleven and thirteen of this Act, an order authorising an adoption under the Adoption of Children (Scotland) Act, 1930, or the Adoption of Children Act (Northern Ireland), 1929, or any enactment of the Parliament of Northern Ireland for the time being in force;

• " adoption society " and " welfare authority " have the same meanings as in the Act of 1939 ;

• " compulsory school age " has the same meaning as in the Education Act, 1944;

• " father ", in relation to an illegitimate infant, means the natural father.

(2) Any reference in this Act to any enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended by any subsequent enactment.

(3) Subsection (3) of section sixteen of-the Act of 1939 (which makes special provision with respect to the application of section seven of that Act to London) shall have effect as if the reference therein to the said section seven included a reference to section five of this Act.

(4) This Act shall be construed as one with the principal Act.