Northern Territory Consolidated Acts Northern Territory Consolidated Acts27. Consents of parents and guardians required
(1) Subject to section 28, in the case of a child who has not previously been adopted, consent to the adoption of the child by each person who is a birth parent or a guardian of the child is required, except that the consent of a birth parent of a child born outside the marriage or the traditional Aboriginal marriage of his or her birth parents is not required unless that birth parent's parenthood of the child is recognised under a law in force in the Territory before -
(a) the expiration of one month after the day on which an instrument of consent to the adoption of the child was signed by the first-mentioned birth parent or a guardian; or
(b) the day on which an order for the dispensation of the giving of a consent to the adoption of the child is made by the Court under section 35,
whichever is the earlier.
(2) In the case of a child who has been previously adopted, the consent of every person who is an adoptive parent or a guardian of the child is required.
(3) Where a person whose consent is otherwise required under this section is the applicant or one of the applicants for an order for adoption, that person's consent to the adoption is not required.
(4) This section does not apply in the case of a child who has attained the age of 18 years before the order for adoption is made.