Victorian Current Acts

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

   10.     Who may be adopted  
   10A.    Application for adoption order  
   11.     Persons in whose favour adoption orders may be made  
   12.     Orders in favour of relatives  
   13.     Approval of persons to adopt children  
   13A.    Register of approved persons  
   14.     Wishes of child  
   15.     Court to be satisfied as to certain matters  
   16.     Notice of application for adoption orders  
   17.     Parties  
   18.     Custody etc. after refusal of an application for an adoption order  
   19.     Discharge of adoption orders  

           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

   45.     Care of child awaiting adoption  
   46.     Guardianship of child awaiting adoption  
   47.     Guardianship of non-citizen child  
   48.     Natural parent's right of access after consent  

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

   49.     Putative father  
   50.     Adoption of Aboriginal child  
   51.     Order for adoption of non-citizen child  

   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

   59.     Certain adoption orders subject to condition  
   59A.    Adoption order subject to certain conditions  
   60.     Variation of orders and conditions  
   61.     Cessation of condition  

           Division 4--Interim orders

   62.     Making of interim orders  
   63.     Duration of interim orders  
   64.     Discharge of 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

   69A.    Adoption of child in Victoria who is to live in a Convention country  
   69B.    Adoption in Victoria of a child from a Convention country  
   69C.    Issue of adoption compliance certificate  
   69D.    Recognition of adoption of a child from a Convention country to Australia  
   69E.    Recognition of adoption of a child from a Convention country to another Convention country  
   69F.    Effect of recognition of adoption under this Part  
   69G.    Evidential value of adoption compliance certificate  
   69H.    Order terminating legal relationship between child and parents  
   69I.    Refusal to recognise an adoption or an article 27 decision  
   69J.    Report on person who wishes to adopt a child in a Convention country  

           Division 2--State Central Authority

   69K.    State Central Authority  
   69L.    Functions of State Central Authority  
   69M.    Delegation  

           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

   91.     Interpretation  
   92.     Access to birth certificates of adopted persons  
   93.     Adopted person's right to information at age eighteen  
   94.     Adopted person's right to information under age eighteen  
   95.     Natural parent's right to information about adopted person under age eighteen  
   96.     Natural parent's right to information about adult adopted person  
   96A.    Person's right to information about parent's adoption  
   97.     Natural relative's right to information  
   98.     Adoptive parent's right to information  
   99.     Application to Court  
   100.    Other person's right to information  
   100A.   Discretionary power of Secretary to use and disclose adoption 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  
           SCHEDULE 1
           ENDNOTES