Act of Sederunt (Child Care and Maintenance Rules) 1997

Final procedure

2.59—(1) After a certified copy of an interlocutor mentioned in rule 2.57 has been sent to the Registrar General, the sheriff clerk shall forthwith–

(a) place the whole process in an envelope bearing only–

(i) the name of the petitioners;

(ii) the full name of the child to whom the process relates; and

(iii) the date of the order; and

(b) seal the envelope and mark it “confidential”.

(2) No person shall open a process referred to in paragraph (1) or inspect its contents within 100 years after the date of the parental order, except–

(a) the person in respect of whom the parental order was made after he has reached the age of 16 years;

(b) any other person or body entitled under subsection (5) of section 45 of the Act, as modified and applied in relation to parental orders and applications for such orders by Schedule 1 to the Regulations, to access to the registers and books kept under subsection (4) of that section, as so modified and applied, with the written authority of the person in respect of whom the parental order was made;

(c) by order of the court on an application made by petition presented by another court or authority (whether within the United Kingdom or not) having the power to make a parental order for the purpose of obtaining information in connection with an application to it for such an order;

(d) by order of the court on an application made by petition presented by any person; and

(e) a person who is authorised in writing by the Secretary of State to obtain information from the process for the purpose of research designed to improve the working of human fertilisation and embryology law and practice.