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ADOPTION ACT 1984 - NOTES

Version No. 075

No. 10150 of 1984
Version incorporating amendments as at
5 October 2023

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Version No. 075

Adoption Act 1984

No. 10150 of 1984
Version incorporating amendments as at
5 October 2023

An Act to amend and re-enact the Law relating to Adoption, to repeal the Adoption of Children Act 1964, to make consequential amendments to certain Acts and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly of Victoria in this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same as follows (that is to say):

Endnotes

    1     General information

See www.legislation.vic.gov.au for Victorian Bills, Acts and current Versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.

The Adoption Act 1984 was assented to on 13 November 1984 and came into operation as follows:

Sections 1, 2, 3(2), 4, 5, 9, 8293, 101104, 130 on 15 April 1985: Government Gazette 27 March 1985 page 781; sections 68, 79, 94100, 112, 113 on 18 December 1985: Government Gazette 18 December 1985 page 4641; rest of Act on 16 November 1987: Government Gazette 28 October 1987 page 2880.

INTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION ACT 1984 (ILA)

Style changes

Section 54A of the ILA authorises the making of the style changes set out in Schedule 1 to that Act.

References to ILA s. 39B

Sidenotes which cite ILA s. 39B refer to section 39B of the ILA which provides that where an undivided section or clause of a Schedule is amended by the insertion of one or more subsections or subclauses, the original section or clause becomes subsection or subclause (1) and is amended by the insertion of the expression "(1)" at the beginning of the original section or clause.

Interpretation

As from 1 January 2001, amendments to section 36 of the ILA have the following effects:

•     Headings

All headings included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Act. Any heading inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Act. This includes headings to Parts, Divisions or Subdivisions in a Schedule; sections; clauses; items; tables; columns; examples; diagrams; notes or forms. See section 36(1A)(2A).

•     Examples, diagrams or notes

All examples, diagrams or notes included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Act. Any examples, diagrams or notes inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, form part of that Act. See section 36(3A).

•     Punctuation

All punctuation included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 forms part of that Act. Any punctuation inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Act. See section 36(3B).

•     Provision numbers

All provision numbers included in an Act form part of that Act, whether inserted in the Act before, on or after 1 January 2001. Provision numbers include section numbers, subsection numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs. See section 36(3C).

•     Location of "legislative items"

A "legislative item" is a penalty, an example or a note. As from 13 October 2004, a legislative item relating to a provision of an Act is taken to be at the foot of that provision even if it is preceded or followed by another legislative item that relates to that provision. For example, if a penalty at the foot of a provision is followed by a note, both of these legislative items will be regarded as being at the foot of that provision. See section 36B.

•     Other material

Any explanatory memorandum, table of provisions, endnotes, index and other material printed after the Endnotes does not form part of an Act.
See section 36(3)(3D)(3E).

    2     Table of Amendments

This publication incorporates amendments made to the Adoption Act 1984 by Acts and subordinate instruments.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1984, No. 10155/1984

Assent Date:

20.11.84

Commencement Date:

S. 80 on 18.11.87: Government Gazette 18.11.87 p. 3138

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Registration of Births Deaths and Marriages (Amendment) Act 1985, No. 10244/1985

Assent Date:

10.5.85

Commencement Date:

31.10.86: Government Gazette 29.10.86 p. 4114

Current State:

All of Act in operation

Adoption (Amendment) Act 1986, No. 3/1986

Assent Date:

25.3.86

Commencement Date:

16.11.87: Government Gazette 28.10.87 p. 2880

Current State:

All of Act in operation

Community Services Act 1987, No. 16/1987

Assent Date:

12.5.87

Commencement Date:

S. 4(3)(Sch. 1 item 1(a)(b)) on 22.2.89: Government Gazette 22.2.89 p. 386

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

State Trust Corporation of Victoria Act 1987, No. 55/1987

Assent Date:

20.10.87

Commencement Date:

2.11.87: Government Gazette 28.10.87 p. 2925

Current State:

All of Act in operation

Adoption (Amendment) Act 1987, No. 67/1987

Assent Date:

24.11.87

Commencement Date:

Ss 17, 913 on 22.12.87: Special Gazette (No. 59) 22.12.87 p. 1; s. 8 on 1.1.89: Government Gazette 21.12.88 p. 3798; s. 14 on 25.1.89: Government Gazette 25.1.89 p. 146

Current State:

All of Act in operation

Children and Young Persons Act 1989, No. 56/1989 (as amended by No. 93/1990)

Assent Date:

14.6.89

Commencement Date:

S. 286(Sch. 2 item 1.2) on 30.9.92: Government Gazette 26.8.92 p. 2470

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Magistrates' Court (Consequential Amendments) Act 1989, No. 57/1989

Assent Date:

14.6.89

Commencement Date:

S. 4(1)(a)–(e)(2) on 1.9.89: Government Gazette 30.8.89 p. 2210; rest of Act on 1.9.90: Government Gazette 25.7.90 p. 2217

Current State:

All of Act in operation

Adoption (Amendment) Act 1989, No. 69/1989

Assent Date:

28.11.89

Commencement Date:

S. 11(2) on 15.3.89: s. 2(2); rest of Act on 6.12.89: Government Gazette 6.12.89 p. 3128

Current State:

All of Act in operation

Children and Young Persons (Amendment) Act 1992, No. 69/1992

Assent Date:

24.11.92

Commencement Date:

S. 34 on 29.1.93: Government Gazette 28.1.93 p. 174

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Medical Practice Act 1994, No. 23/1994

Assent Date:

17.5.94

Commencement Date:

Ss 1, 2 on 17.5.94: s. 2(1); rest of Act on 1.7.94: Government Gazette 23.6.94 p. 1672

Current State:

All of Act in operation

Financial Management (Consequential Amendments) Act 1994, No. 31/1994

Assent Date:

31.5.94

Commencement Date:

S. 3(Sch. 1 item 1) on 7.7.94: Government Gazette 7.7.94 p. 1878

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Legal Practice Act 1996, No. 35/1996

Assent Date:

6.11.96

Commencement Date:

S. 453(Sch. 1 item 4) on 1.1.97: s. 2(3)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996, No. 43/1996

Assent Date:

26.11.96

Commencement Date:

S. 65(Sch. item 1) on 2.10.97: Government Gazette 2.10.97 p. 2731

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Commonwealth Powers (Family Law-Children) (Amendment) Act 1997, No. 59/1997

Assent Date:

5.11.97

Commencement Date:

S. 6 on 1.11.98: s. 2(3)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Disability Services and Other Acts (Amendment) Act 1997, No. 72/1997

Assent Date:

25.11.97

Commencement Date:

Pt 2 (ss 313) on 3.3.98: Government Gazette 26.2.98 p. 418

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Public Sector Reform (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1998, No. 46/1998 (as amended by No. 12/1999)

Assent Date:

26.5.98

Commencement Date:

S. 7(Sch. 1) on 1.7.98: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Tribunals and Licensing Authorities (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1998, No. 52/1998

Assent Date:

2.6.98

Commencement Date:

S. 311(Sch. 1 item 3) on 1.7.98: Government Gazette 18.6.98 p. 1512

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Adoption (Amendment) Act 2000, No. 32/2000

Assent Date:

6.6.00

Commencement Date:

Ss 418 on 1.1.02: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Public Administration Act 2004, No. 108/2004

Assent Date:

21.12.04

Commencement Date:

S. 117(1)(Sch. 3 item 3) on 5.4.05: Government Gazette 31.3.05 p. 602

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Legal Profession (Consequential Amendments) Act 2005, No. 18/2005

Assent Date:

24.5.05

Commencement Date:

S. 18(Sch. 1 item 3) on 12.12.05: Government Gazette 1.12.05 p. 2781

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Health Professions Registration Act 2005, No. 97/2005

Assent Date:

7.12.05

Commencement Date:

S. 182(Sch. 4 item 2) on 1.7.07: s. 2(3)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Children, Youth and Families (Consequential and Other Amendments) Act 2006, No. 48/2006

Assent Date:

15.8.06

Commencement Date:

S. 42(Sch. item 1) on 23.4.07: s. 2(3)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Statute Law Amendment (National Health Practitioner Regulation) Act 2010, No. 13/2010

Assent Date:

30.3.10

Commencement Date:

S. 51(Sch. item 3) on 1.7.10: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Statute Law Revision Act 2011, No. 29/2011

Assent Date:

21.6.11

Commencement Date:

S. 3(Sch. 1 item 3) on 22.6.11: s. 2(1)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Adoption Amendment Act 2013, No. 25/2013

Assent Date:

15.5.13

Commencement Date:

1.7.13: s. 2(2)

Current State:

All of Act in operation

Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014, No. 17/2014

Assent Date:

25.3.14

Commencement Date:

S. 160(Sch. 2 item 3) on 1.7.15: Special Gazette (No. 151) 16.6.15 p. 1

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Children, Youth and Families Amendment (Permanent Care and Other Matters) Act 2014, No. 61/2014

Assent Date:

9.9.14

Commencement Date:

S. 161 on 1.3.16: s. 2(3)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Adoption Amendment Act 2015, No. 32/2015

Assent Date:

25.8.15

Commencement Date:

Ss 410 on 26.8.15: s. 2

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Adoption Amendment (Adoption by Same-Sex Couples) Act 2015, No. 68/2015

Assent Date:

15.12.15

Commencement Date:

Ss 416 on 1.9.16: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Oaths and Affirmations Act 2018, No. 6/2018

Assent Date:

27.2.18

Commencement Date:

S. 68(Sch. 2 item 2) on 1.3.19: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2022, No. 20/2022

Assent Date:

31.5.22

Commencement Date:

Ss 5153, 55, 56 on 1.6.22: s. 2(1); ss 5760 on 5.10.22: s. 2(3); s. 54 on 5.4.23: s. 2(4); ss 4850 on 5.10.23: s. 2(5)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Adoption Act 1984

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    3     Explanatory details


[1] S. 4(1) def. of Commonwealth Central Authority: Regulation 5 of the Family Law (Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption) Regulations 1998 of the Commonwealth provides that the Secretary to the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department is the Commonwealth Central Authority.

[2] S. 4(1) def. of Convention country: As at 14 November 2022, Convention countries within the meaning of paragraph (a) of the definition are Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada (in relation only to the provinces and territories of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, the Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut and Ontario), Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (other than Faroe Islands and Greenland), Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France (other than the overseas territories), Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (extended to the territory of the Isle of Man), Uruguay and Venezuela.

[3] S. 4(1) def. of Convention country: As at 14 November 2022, Convention countries within the meaning of paragraph (b) of the definition are Armenia, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Eswatini, Fiji, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Mali, Montenegro, Namibia, Niger, North Macedonia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Togo, Türkiye, the United States of America, Viet Nam and Zambia.

[4] S. 69F(1): Section 53 and subsequent sections provide for the effect of adoption orders.

[5] S. 69V: See note 4.



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