New South Wales Consolidated Acts

STATUS OF CHILDREN ACT 1996 - SECT 26

26 Orders for carrying out of parentage testing procedures

(1) In proceedings where the parentage of a child is in issue, the Supreme Court may make an order requiring a parentage testing procedure to be carried out on any of the following persons for the purpose of obtaining information to assist in determining the parentage of the child:

(a) the child, or

(b) a person known to be a parent of the child, or

(c) any other person, if the Court is of the opinion that the information that could be obtained if the parentage testing procedure were to be carried out in relation to the person might assist in determining the parentage of the child.

(2) A parentage testing order may be made by the Court:

(a) on the application of a party to the proceedings, or

(b) on the application of the Director-General, or

(c) on the application of a person representing the child under an order made under section 34, or

(d) of its own motion.

(3) A parentage testing order may be made subject to terms and conditions.

(4) In deciding whether to make a parentage testing order, the Court must:

(a) consider and determine any objection made by a party to the proceedings on account of medical, religious or other grounds, and

(b) if it determines that an objection is valid, take the objection into account in deciding whether to make the order.