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ADOPTION ACT 1993

Table of Provisions

PART 1--PRELIMINARY

  • 1 Name of Act  
  • 2 Dictionary  
  • 3 Notes  

PART 1A--OBJECTS AND PRINCIPLES

  • 4 Objects of Act  
  • 5 Best interests of child or young person paramount consideration  
  • 6 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child or young person—additional  

PART 2--JURISDICTION

  • 7 Proceedings  
  • 8 Rules of private international law not to apply  

PART 3--ADOPTIONS UNDER THIS ACT

Division 3.1--Who can be adopted?

  • 9 Adoption of child or young person  
  • 10 Adoption of person 18 years old or older  
  • 11 Previous adoption immaterial  
  • 12 Frustration of immigration law  

Division 3.2--Who can adopt?

  • 13 Residency requirement  
  • 14 Additional requirements for adoption of child or young person  
  • 18 Approval of suitable people  
  • 19 Register of suitable people  

Division 3.3--Consents to adoptions

  • 26 Consents of parents and guardians  
  • 27 Information for certain parents considering consent  
  • 28 Consent of applicant not required  
  • 29 General or limited consents  
  • 30 Instrument of consent  
  • 31 Revocation of consent  
  • 32 Access during revocation period  
  • 33 Consents under law of a State or another Territory  
  • 34 Defective consents  
  • 35 Dispensing with consent  

Division 3.4--Placement of child or young person before adoption

  • 35A Placement of child or young person before adoption  
  • 35B Consultation with child or young person before deciding placement  

Division 3.5--Guardianship before adoption

  • 36 Guardianship before adoption  
  • 37 Guardianship of non-citizen child or young person  
  • 38 Transfer of guardianship of child or young person until adoption  
  • 39 Review of status of child or young person released for adoption  

Division 3.6--Proceedings for an adoption order

  • 39A Application for adoption order  
  • 39B Notice of application for adoption order  
  • 39C Parties to proceeding  
  • 39D Report on proposed adoption  
  • 39E Consultation with child or young person before adoption order made  
  • 39F Deciding application for adoption order for child or young person  
  • 39G Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child or young person  
  • 39H Adoption of non-citizen child or young person  
  • 39I Deciding application for adoption order for person 18 years old or  
  • 39J Notification to director-general of adoption order  
  • 39K Alternative orders on refusal of adoption order  
  • 39L Discharge of adoption order  

Division 3.7--Conditional orders

  • 40 Adoption order subject to certain conditions  
  • 41 Amendment of adoption condition  
  • 42 Cessation of condition  

Division 3.8--Effect of adoption orders

  • 43 General effect  
  • 44 Disposition of property  
  • 45 Names of adopted child or young person  
  • 46 Effect of order on domicile  
  • 47 Distribution of property by trustee or personal representative  
  • 48 Bequest by will to unascertained adopted person  
  • 49 Gifts between living people  

Division 3.9--Interim orders

  • 50 Making of order  
  • 51 Duration  
  • 52 Discharge  

PART 4--RECOGNITION OF AUSTRALIAN ADOPTIONS

  • 53 Recognition of Australian adoptions  

PART 4A--INTERCOUNTRY AND OVERSEAS ADOPTION

Division 4A--.1 Preliminary

  • 54 Adoptions outside Australia—general  
  • 55 State central authority  
  • 56 Functions of State central authority  

Division 4A--.2 Convention on intercountry adoption

Subdivision 4A--.2.1 Adoption under Convention
  • 57 Adoption in ACT of ACT child or young person by parents from Convention  
  • 57A Report on child for intercountry adoption  
  • 57B Adoption in ACT of child or young person from Convention country by ACT  
  • 57C Issue of adoption compliance certificate  
  • Subdivision 4A--.2.2 Recognition under Convention
  • 57D Recognition of adoption of child or young person from Convention country in that  
  • 57E Recognition of adoption of child or young person from Convention country to another  
  • 57F Effect of recognition  
  • 57G Refusal to recognise adoption or decision  
  • 57H Order terminating legal relationship between child or young person and  
  • 57I Evidential value of adoption compliance certificate  

Division 4A--.3 Bilateral arrangements for intercountry adoptions

  • 57J Adoption in ACT of child or young person from prescribed overseas jurisdiction by ACT  
  • 57K Evidential value of adoption compliance certificate—div 4A.3  

Division 4A--.4 Recognition of other overseas adoptions

  • 57L Recognition of adoption order made outside Australia  
  • 57M Declaration of validity of adoption order made outside Australia  

PART 5--ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Division 5.1--General

  • 58 Definitions—pt 5  
  • 59 Application—pt 5  
  • 60 Confidentiality of records  
  • 61 Records of adoptions  
  • 62 Provision of information  

Division 5.2--Non-identifying information

  • 63 Right of access  
  • 64 Protection of privacy  
  • 65 Medical information  

Division 5.3--Identifying information

  • 66 Right of access  
  • 67 Recipient of application  
  • 68 Restriction on entitlement to apply  
  • 69 Assistance in obtaining approval  
  • 70 Objection to contact—adoptions before Adoption Amendment Act 2009 (No  
  • 71 Contact veto by person other than adopted person—adoptions before Adoption  
  • 72 Counselling services  
  • 73 Declaration that contact not be attempted  
  • 74 Birth details of adopted person born overseas  
  • 75 Application to court in absence of consent  
  • 76 Other person's right to information  
  • 77 Family information service  
  • 78 Adoption information register  
  • 79 Contact veto register  
  • 80 Reunion information register  

PART 6--PRIVATE ADOPTION AGENCIES

  • 81 Application for approval  
  • 82 Grant or refusal of approval  
  • 83 Change in principal officer  
  • 84 Effect of action by principal officer  
  • 85 Revocation or suspension of approval  
  • 86 Effect of cessation of approved agency  
  • 87 Requirements for private adoption agencies  

PART 7--OFFENCES

  • 88 Territorial application of pt 7  
  • 89 Taking away etc of adopted child or young person by birth parent  
  • 90 Receiving or harbouring child or young person  
  • 91 Interfering with upbringing of child or young person  
  • 92 Approval of communications  
  • 93 Director-general's report for prosecution  
  • 94 Payments in consideration of adoptions etc  
  • 95 Unauthorised arrangements for adoption  
  • 96 Unauthorised advertising  
  • 97 Restriction on publication of identity of parties  
  • 99 Personation of person whose consent to adoption is required  
  • 100 Presenting consent obtained by fraud etc  
  • 101 Improperly witnessing consent  

PART 7A--NOTIFICATION AND REVIEW OF DECISIONS

  • 102 Meaning of reviewable decision—pt 7A  
  • 103 Reviewable decision notices  
  • 103A Applications for review  

PART 8--MISCELLANEOUS

  • 104 Registration of orders  
  • 105 Memoranda of orders interstate  
  • 106 Particulars of interstate orders  
  • 107 Legal representation of child or young person  
  • 108 Notification to parents  
  • 108A Financial support of adopted children and young people  
  • 111 Authority to prosecute  
  • 112 Hearings to be in camera  
  • 113 Contents of reports not to be disclosed  
  • 114 Restriction on inspection of records  
  • 115 Director-general may appear at hearings  
  • 116 Proof of adoptions  
  • 118 Determination of fees  
  • 120A Approved forms  
  • 121 Regulation-making power  

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