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ADOPTION ACT 1984

Table of Provisions

PART I--PRELIMINARY

  • 1 Short title  
  • 2 Commencement  
  • 3 Repeals, savings and transitional provisions  
  • 4 Definitions  
  • 5 Approved counsellors  
  • 6 The Court  
  • 7 Jurisdiction  
  • 8 Rules of private international law not to apply  
  • 9 Welfare and interests of child to be paramount  

PART II--ADOPTIONS UNDER THIS ACT

Division 1--General

Division 2--Arrangement of adoptions

  • 20 Adoptions may be arranged by Secretary or by approved agency  
  • 20A Determinations by Secretary or approved agency  
  • 21 Application for approval of adoption agency  
  • 22 Secretary may grant or refuse application  
  • 23 Authorized agencies—non-citizen children  
  • 24 Revocation or suspension of approval  
  • 25 Period of approval of agency  
  • 26 Renewal of approval  
  • 27 Effect of cessation or suspension of approved agency  
  • 28 Effect of revocation or suspension of authority under section 23  
  • 29 Ending of suspension of approval or authority  
  • 30 Notice of approval to be published in Government Gazette  
  • 31 Acts of principal officer deemed acts of approved agency  
  • 32 Duties of Secretary and approved agencies  

Division 3--Consents to adoptions

  • 33 Consents required to adoptions  
  • 34 Manner of giving consent  
  • 35 Requirements to be complied with  
  • 36 Consent by guardian under section 33(6)  
  • 37 Consent subject to conditions  
  • 38 Revocation of consent on notice of inability to place child  
  • 39 Consents to be construed as general consents  
  • 40 Consents given under law of another State or a Territory  
  • 41 Revocation of consents  
  • 42 Defective consents  
  • 43 Court may dispense with consents  
  • 44 Person who gives consent to be given notice of certain events  

Division 4--Care of child

Division 5--Court to be satisfied as to certain additional matters

PART III--ADOPTION ORDERS UNDER THIS ACT

Division 1--General

  • 52 Certificate of adoption  

Division 2--Effect of adoption orders

  • 53 General effect of adoption orders  
  • 54 Effect of orders as regards dispositions of property etc.  
  • 55 Bequest by will to unascertained adopted person  
  • 56 Names of adopted child  
  • 57 Effect of order on domicile  
  • 58 Adoption order not to affect the distribution of property by trustees or personal representatives unless notice given  

Division 3--Adoption orders subject to conditions

Division 4--Interim orders

PART IV--RECOGNITION OF ADOPTIONS

  • 65 Application of Part  
  • 66 Recognition of Australasian adoptions  
  • 67 Recognition of foreign adoptions  
  • 68 Supervision of certain adopted children  
  • 69 Declarations of validity of foreign adoptions  

PART IVA--ADOPTIONS UNDER THE HAGUE CONVENTION

Division 1--Court orders and recognition of adoptions

Division 2--State Central Authority

Division 3--Accredited bodies

  • 69N Application for accreditation  
  • 69O Accreditation  
  • 69P Revocation or suspension of accreditation  
  • 69Q Effect of suspension or revocation of accreditation  
  • 69R Renewal of accreditation  
  • 69S Gazettal and notification to Commonwealth of accreditation matters  

PART IVB--BILATERAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTIONS

  • 69T Definitions  
  • 69U Recognition of an adoption in a prescribed overseas jurisdiction of a child from that jurisdiction  
  • 69V Effect of recognition of adoption under this Part  
  • 69W Refusal to recognise an adoption under this Part  
  • 69X Evidential value of adoption certificate  
  • 69Y Report on person who wishes to adopt a child in a prescribed overseas jurisdiction  

PART V--REGISTRATION OF ORDERS

  • 70 Registration of orders  
  • 71 Sending of memoranda of orders to other States etc.  
  • 72 Registration of orders received from other States etc.  
  • 73 Registration of certain foreign orders  
  • 73A Registration of adoption of a child from a Convention country to Australia  
  • 74 Certain entries to be marked "adopted"  
  • 75 Index to be kept by Registrar  
  • 76 Register of Adoptions not open for search  
  • 77 Index of births  
  • 78 Application for information about birth of adopted person  
  • 79 Place of birth  
  • 79A Adoption records  
  • 79B Secretary may obtain information from Registrar  
  • 80 Discharge of order  
  • 81 Correction of errors  

PART VI--ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Division 1--General

  • 82 Definitions  
  • 83 Restriction on access to reports and records  
  • 84 Access to certain documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982  
  • 85 Records of adoptions  
  • 86 Secretary may obtain information from a Court  
  • 87 Counselling and advice to applicants about information  
  • 88 Protection of privacy  
  • 89 Disclosure of medical information  
  • 90 Secretary to provide information  

Division 2--Persons entitled to birth certificates or information

Division 3--Adoption Information Service

  • 101 Definition  
  • 102 Adoption Information Service  
  • 103 Adoption Information Register  
  • 104 Secretary to give assistance  

PART VII--MISCELLANEOUS

Division 1--General

  • 105 Financial assistance  
  • 106 Separate representation of child  
  • 107 Hearings to be in camera  
  • 108 Secretary may appear at hearings  
  • 109 Costs  
  • 110 Judicial notice of signatures  
  • 111 Certified copies etc. of adoption orders to be evidence  
  • 112 Fees for assessment of applicants for adoption of child outside Australia  
  • 113 Waiver of fees  
  • 114 Registrar to give notices concerning Aboriginal children  
  • 115 Arrangements for adoption of children outside Australia  

Division 2--Offences

  • 116 Territorial application of Part  
  • 117 Taking away etc. adopted child by natural parent  
  • 118 Harbouring child taken from adoptive parents  
  • 119 Payments in consideration of adoptions etc.  
  • 120 Restrictions on advertising  
  • 121 Restriction on publication of identity of parties  
  • 122 Penalty for making unauthorized arrangements  
  • 123 Agency etc. to comply with request for information  
  • 124 False statements  
  • 125 Personation  
  • 126 Presenting forged consent etc.  
  • 127 Improperly witnessing consent to adoption  
  • 128 Penalty  
  • 129 Authority to prosecute  

Division 2A--Application for review

  • 129A Review by Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal  

Division 3--Regulations

  • 130 Regulations  

Division 4--Transitional provisions

  • 131 Transitional for applications  
  • 132 Transitionals—Adoption Amendment Act 2015  
  • 133 Transitional—Adoption Amendment (Adoption by Same‑Sex Couples) Act 2015  

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