The Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987

Disclosure of records

Disclosure of birth records of adopted children

54.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (6), the Registrar General shall, on an application made in the prescribed manner by an adopted person a record of whose birth is kept by the Registrar General and who has attained the age of 18 years, supply to that person on payment of the prescribed fee (if any) such information as is necessary to enable that person to obtain a certified copy of the record of his birth.

(2) On an application made in the prescribed manner by an adopted person under the age of 18 years, a record of whose birth is kept by the Registrar General and who is intending to be married, and on payment of the prescribed fee (if any), the Registrar General shall inform the applicant whether or not it appears from information contained in the registers of live births or other records that the applicant and the person whom he intends to marry may be within the prohibited degrees of relationship for the purposes of Article 18(1) of the Family Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 1984(1).

(3) Each adoption agency shall provide counselling for adopted persons who apply for information under paragraph (1).

(4) Before supplying any information to an applicant under paragraph (1) the Registrar General shall inform the applicant that counselling services are available to him—

(a) from the Board for the area where the applicant is at the time the application is made; or

(b) from the Board for the area where the court sat which made the adoption order relating to the applicant; or

(c) if the applicant’s adoption was arranged by a registered adoption society, from that society.

(5) If the applicant chooses to receive counselling under paragraph (4) the Registrar General shall send to the Board or society of the applicant’s choice the information to which the applicant is entitled under paragraph (1).

(6) The Registrar General shall not supply a person who was adopted before the day on which this Order was made with any information under paragraph (1) unless that person has attended an interview with a counsellor in pursuance of arrangements made by the Board in or adoption society from whom the applicant is entitled to receive counselling in accordance with paragraph (4).

(1)

1984 NI 14