Northern Territory Consolidated Acts Northern Territory Consolidated Acts65. Release of information in relation to adoptions under repealed legislation
(1) Where an order for adoption was made before the commencement of this Act -
(a) the adopted person may only apply to the Minister under section 61 for the information specified in section 62(1) in respect of one or both of his or her relinquishing parents, except that, where the adopted person has not attained the age of 16 years, he or she may only apply for the information if his or her adoptive parent or (if more than one) adoptive parents has or have consented in writing to the making of his or her application for information;
(b) an adoptive parent may only apply to the Minister under section 61 for the information specified in section 62(1) in respect of one or both of the relinquishing parents, except that the information provided to the adoptive parent shall not be of such a nature that it identifies the relinquishing parent or the relinquishing parents or his, her or their whereabouts; and
(c) a relinquishing parent may only apply to the Minister under section 61 for the information specified in section 62(1) in respect of the person who he or she relinquished for adoption and one or both of the adoptive parents, except that, where the adopted person has not yet attained the age of 18 years, that information shall not be of such a nature that it identifies the adopted person or one or both of the adoptive parents or his, her or their whereabouts,
and the Minister shall, subject to subsection (3), provide the information requested in the application.
(2) A relinquishing parent or an adopted person referred to in subsection (1) may lodge with the Minister a notice of prohibition in the prescribed form that will disallow the provision of information that would identify him or her.
(3) Where a person has lodged a notice of prohibition with the Minister under subsection (2), the Minister shall not provide information as specified in the notice of prohibition.
(4) A notice of prohibition under subsection (2) shall remain in force for the period, not exceeding 3 years, specified in the prohibition, but may, on application in writing, be reinstated for further periods each of which shall not exceed 3 years.