Contents

Part 1                    Preliminary                                                                 

                        1     Name of Regulations see Note 1]                                     5

                        2     Commencement [see Note 1]                                           5

                        3     Interpretation                                                                   5

                      3A     Headings of certain documents                                         6

                        4     Convention countries                                                        7

Part 2                    Commonwealth and State Central Authorities 

                        5     Commonwealth Central Authority                                      8

                        6     Functions etc of Commonwealth Central Authority              8

                        7     Notice of designation of Commonwealth Central Authority  10

                        8     State Central Authorities                                                 10

                        9     State Central Authorities — designation by Commonwealth 10

                       10     Notice of designation of State Central Authority                11

                       11     State Central Authorities and accredited bodies                12

Part 3                    Accredited bodies                                                    

                       12     Notice of accreditation                                                    13

                       13     Notice of revocation                                                        14

Part 4                    Court orders and recognition of adoption         

                       14     Adoption of Australian child into a Convention country       15

                       15     Adoption in Australia of a child from a Convention country  16

                       16     Adoption of a child from a Convention country to Australia 18

                       17     Adoption of a child from a Convention country to another Convention country    19

                       18     Effect of recognition of an adoption                                  19

                       19     Evidential value of adoption compliance certificate             19

                       20     Order terminating legal relationship between child and parents            20

                       21     Decision in a Convention country to convert an adoption    22

                       22     Refusal to recognise an adoption or an article 27 decision 22

                       23     Notice of application under regulation 22                          23

Part 5                    Jurisdiction of courts                                              

                       24     Meaning of arising in a State or Territory                          25

                    24A     Jurisdiction of Family Court of Australia                            25

                    24B     Appeals may be made to Full Court of Family Court of Australia          25

                    24C     Evidence given in an appeal                                            26

                    24D     Time for instituting appeal                                               26

                    24E     Orders that may be made on appeal                                26

                     24F     Appeals to High Court                                                    26

                       25     Jurisdiction of courts — New South Wales                       27

                       26     Jurisdiction of courts — Victoria                                      27

                       27     Jurisdiction of courts — Queensland                                28

                       28     Jurisdiction of courts — South Australia                           28

                       29     Jurisdiction of Family Court of Western Australia — Western Australia, Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands                                                            29

                       30     Jurisdiction of courts — Tasmania                                   29

                       31     Jurisdiction of courts — Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, Heard and McDonald Islands and Australian Antarctic Territory                         30

                       32     Jurisdiction of courts — Northern Territory and Ashmore and Cartier Islands     30

                       33     Jurisdiction of courts — Norfolk Island and the Coral Seas Islands Territory      31

Part 6                    Miscellaneous                                                           

                       34     Application                                                                    33

Schedule 1             The Convention                                                           34

Schedule 2             Convention countries                                                   50

Schedule 3             Forms                                                                          53

Form 1                     Heading of documents for use in court proceedings           53

Form 2                     Affidavit                                                                         54

Form 3                     Application for order                                                       55

Form 4                     Notice of application                                                       58

Form 5                     Response to application                                                 59

Form 6                     Reply to response to application                                      60

Form 7                     Adoption order — Australian child                                    61

Form 8                     Adoption order — child from Convention country               62

Form 9                     Order terminating parental relationship                             63

Form 10                   Declaration of non‑recognition                                         64

Notes                                                                                                          65

 

 

  

Notes to the Family Law (Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption) Regulations 1998

Note 1

The Family Law (Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption) Regulations 1998 (in force under the Family Law Act 1975) as shown in this compilation comprise Statutory Rules 1998 No. 249 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, which came into force on 1 January 2005, it is a requirement for all non‑exempt legislative instruments to be registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.  From 1 January 2005 the Statutory Rules series ceased to exist and was replaced with Select Legislative Instruments (SLI series). Numbering conventions remain the same, ie Year and Number.

Table of Instruments

Year and number	Date of notification in Gazette or FRLI registration	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
1998 No. 249	6 Aug 1998	1 Dec 1998 (see ATS 1998 No. 21) (a)
1999 No. 283	2 Dec 1999	2 Dec 1999	—
2000 No. 312	29 Nov 2000	29 Nov 2000	—
2003 No. 341	23 Dec 2003	23 Dec 2003	—
2006 No. 96	8 May 2006 (see F2006L01324)	9 May 2006	—

(a)    Regulation 2 of Statutory Rules 1998 No. 249 provides as follows:

The Regulations commence on the day the Convention enters into force for Australia. 

The Convention on Protection of Children and Co‑operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption was:

         Signed for Australia 25 August 1998.  Instrument of ratification deposited for Australia 25 August 1998, with declarations pursuant to Articles 6, 22.4, 23.2, 25 and 45 and in relation to the October 1994 Special Commission on Implementation recommendation in respect of refugee children.  Entry into force for Australia 1 December 1998.  Applicable to all the territorial units of Australia.

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Part 1
Heading to r. 3......................	rs. 1999 No. 283
R. 3.........................................	am. 1999 No. 283
R. 3A.......................................	ad. 1999 No. 283
R. 4.........................................	am. 1999 No. 283
Part 2
R. 14.......................................	am. 1999 No. 283
R. 15.......................................	am. 1999 No. 283
R. 20.......................................	am. 1999 No. 283
R. 22.......................................	am. 1999 No. 283
Part 5
R. 24A....................................	ad. 1999 No. 283
R. 24B....................................	ad. 1999 No. 283
R. 24C....................................	ad. 1999 No. 283
R. 24D....................................	ad. 1999 No. 283
R. 24E....................................	ad. 1999 No. 283
R. 24F....................................	ad. 1999 No. 283
Part 6
R. 34.......................................	am. 1999 No. 283
Schedule 2
Schedule 2............................	rs. 1999 No. 283; 2000 No. 312; 2003 No. 341
	am. 2006 No. 96
Schedule 3
Schedule 3............................	ad. 1999 No. 283
Form 1...............................	ad. 1999 No. 283
Form 2...............................	ad. 1999 No. 283
Form 3...............................	ad. 1999 No. 283
Form 4...............................	ad. 1999 No. 283
Form 5...............................	ad. 1999 No. 283
Form 6...............................	ad. 1999 No. 283
Form 7...............................	ad. 1999 No. 283
Form 8...............................	ad. 1999 No. 283
Form 9...............................	ad. 1999 No. 283
Form 10.............................	ad. 1999 No. 283