Family Law Reform Act 1987

23 Provisions as to scientific tests

(1) For subsections (1) and (2) of section 20 of the [1969 c. 46.] Family Law Reform Act 1969 (power of court to require use of blood tests) there shall be substituted the following subsections—

“(1) In any civil proceedings in which the parentage of any person falls to be determined, the court may, either of its own motion or on an application by any party to the proceedings, give a direction—

(a) for the use of scientific tests to ascertain whether such tests show that a party to the proceedings is or is not the father or mother of that person; and

(b) for the taking, within a period, specified in the direction of bodily samples from all or any of the following, namely, that person, any party who is alleged to be the father or mother of that person and any other party to the proceedings;

and the court may at any time revoke or vary a direction previously given by it under this subsection.

(2) The person responsible for carrying out scientific tests in pursuance of a direction under subsection (1) above shall make to the court a report in which he shall state—

(a) the results of the tests;

(b) whether any party to whom the report relates is or is not excluded by the results from being the father or mother of the person whose parentage is to be determined; and

(c) in relation to any party who is not so excluded, the value, if any, of the results in determining whether that party is the father or mother of that person;

and the report shall be received by the court as evidence in the proceedings of the matters stated in it.

(2A) Where the proceedings in which the parentage of any person falls to be determined are proceedings on an application under section 56 of the [1986 c. 55.] Family Law Act 1986, any reference in subsection (1) or (2) of this section to any party to the proceedings shall include a reference to any person named in the application.”

(2) In section 25 of that Act (interpretation of Part III)—

(a) for the definitions of "blood samples" and "blood tests" there shall be substituted the following definition—

• “"bodily sample' means a sample of bodily fluid or bodily tissue taken for the purpose of scientific tests;”; and

(b) after the definition of "excluded" there shall be inserted the following definition—

• “"scientific tests' means scientific tests carried out under this Part of this Act and made with the object of ascertaining the inheritable characteristics of bodily fluids or bodily tissue.”