The Adoption Agencies (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2020

Amendment of the Principal Regulations

9.  After regulation 20 insert—

“Persons authorised to witness consent to placement for adoption

20A.— (1) Where the parent or guardian resides outside England and Wales and is prepared to consent to the placement of the child for adoption under section 19 of the Act and, as the case may be, to consent to the making of a future adoption order under section 20 of the Act, the adoption agency must arrange for the appointment of an authorised person to witness the execution of the form of consent to placement or to adoption by that parent or guardian and send to that person the information specified in Schedule 2.

(2) “Authorised person” for the purposes of this regulation means in relation to a form of consent executed—

(a) in Scotland, a Justice of the Peace or a Sheriff;

(b) in Northern Ireland, a Justice of the Peace;

(c) outside the United Kingdom, any person for the time being authorised by law in the place where the document is executed to administer an oath for any judicial or other legal purpose, a British Consular officer, a notary public or, if the person executing the document is serving in any of the regular armed forces of the Crown, an officer holding a commission in any of those forces.”