1. These Regulations may be cited as the International Recovery of Maintenance (Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance 2007) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 and come into force on exit day.
2. In these Regulations—
(a)“the 2007 Hague Convention” means the Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance concluded on 23 November 2007 at The Hague(1);
(b)“maintenance obligation” means an obligation to pay maintenance under a maintenance decision within the meaning of Article 19, or a maintenance arrangement within the meaning of Article 30;
(c)“the relevant Central Authority in the United Kingdom” means—
(i)for England and Wales, the Lord Chancellor;
(ii)for Scotland, the Scottish Ministers;
(iii)for Northern Ireland, the Department of Justice;
(d)“the relevant competent authority in the United Kingdom” means—
(i)for England and Wales, the family court;
(ii)for Scotland, the sheriff court;
(iii)for Northern Ireland, a magistrates’ court;
(e)“request” means, as the context requires—
(i)an application in a category referred to in Article 10;
(ii)a direct request within the meaning of Article 37; or
(iii)a request for specific measures within the meaning of Article 7;
(f)“the section 4 rights” has the meaning given by regulation 3,
and a reference to an Article is a reference to an Article of the 2007 Hague Convention.