F1SCHEDULE 3GText of the 2007 Hague Convention
Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance
CHAPTER VRECOGNITION AND ENFORCEMENT
Article 23Procedure on an application for recognition and enforcement
(1)
Subject to the provisions of the Convention, the procedures for recognition and enforcement shall be governed by the law of the State addressed.
(2)
Where an application for recognition and enforcement of a decision has been made through Central Authorities in accordance with Chapter III, the requested Central Authority shall promptly either—
(a)
refer the application to the competent authority which shall without delay declare the decision enforceable or register the decision for enforcement; or
(b)
if it is the competent authority take such steps itself.
(3)
Where the request is made directly to a competent authority in the State addressed in accordance with Article 19(5), that authority shall without delay declare the decision enforceable or register the decision for enforcement.
(4)
A declaration or registration may be refused only on the ground set out in Article 22 (a). At this stage neither the applicant nor the respondent is entitled to make any submissions.
(5)
The applicant and the respondent shall be promptly notified of the declaration or registration, made under paragraphs 2 and 3, or the refusal thereof in accordance with paragraph 4, and may bring a challenge or appeal on fact and on a point of law.
(6)
A challenge or an appeal is to be lodged within 30 days of notification under paragraph 5. If the contesting party is not resident in the Contracting State in which the declaration or registration was made or refused, the challenge or appeal shall be lodged within 60 days of notification.
(7)
A challenge or appeal may be founded only on the following—
(a)
the grounds for refusing recognition and enforcement set out in Article 22;
(b)
the bases for recognition and enforcement under Article 20;
(c)
the authenticity or integrity of any document transmitted in accordance with Article 25(1) (a), (b) or (d) or (3) (b).
(8)
A challenge or an appeal by a respondent may also be founded on the fulfilment of the debt to the extent that the recognition and enforcement relates to payments that fell due in the past.
(9)
The applicant and the respondent shall be promptly notified of the decision following the challenge or the appeal.
(10)
A further appeal, if permitted by the law of the State addressed, shall not have the effect of staying the enforcement of the decision unless there are exceptional circumstances.
(11)
In taking any decision on recognition and enforcement, including any appeal, the competent authority shall act expeditiously.