Children Act 1975

20 Guardian ad litem and reporting officer

(1) For the purpose of any application for an adoption order or an order under section 14, 16 or 25, rules shall provide for the appointment, in such cases as are prescribed.—

(a) of a person to act as guardian ad litem of the child upon the hearing of the application, with the duty of safeguarding the interests of the child in the prescribed manner;

(b) of a person to act as reporting officer for the purpose of witnessing agreements to adoption and performing such other duties as the rules may prescribe.

(2) A person who is employed—

(a) in the case of an application for an adoption order, by the adoption agency by whom the child was placed; or

(b) in the case of an application under section 14 by the adoption agency by whom the application was made; or

(c) in the case of an application under section 16 by the adoption agency with the parental rights and duties relating to the child,

shall not be appointed to act as guardian ad litem or reporting officer for the purposes of the application but, subject to that, the same person may if the court thinks fit be both guardian ad litem and reporting officer.

(3) Rules may provide for the reporting officer to be appointed before the application is made.

(4) In relation to Scotland, references in this section to a guardian ad litem shall be construed as references to a curator ad litem.