The Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987

1. Introductory Text

2. PART I INTRODUCTORY

   1. 1. Title and commencement

   2. 2. Interpretation

3. PART II ARRANGEMENTS FOR ADOPTION

   1. The Adoption Service

      1. 3. The Adoption Service

   2. Adoption societies

      1. 4. Registration of adoption societies

      2. 5. Cancellation of registration

      3. 6. Procedure and right of appeal where registration refused or cancelled

      4. 7. Inspection of books, etc., of registered adoption societies

      5. 8. Inactive or defunct adoption societies

   3. Welfare of children

      1. 9. Duty to promote welfare of child

   4. Supplemental

      1. 10. Regulation of adoption agencies

      2. 11. Restriction on arranging adoptions and placing children

4. PART III ADOPTION ORDERS

   1. The making of adoption orders

      1. 12. Adoption orders

      2. 13. Child to live with adopters before order made

      3. 14. Adoption by married couple

      4. 15. Adoption by one person

      5. 16. Parental agreement

      6. 16A. Convention adoption orders

   2. Freeing for adoption

      1. 17. Freeing child for adoption with parental agreement

      2. 18. Freeing child for adoption without parental agreement

      3. 19. Progress reports to former parent

      4. 20. Revocation of order freeing child for adoption

      5. 21. Variation of order under Article 17(1) or 18(1) so as to substitute one adoption agency for another

   3. Supplemental

      1. 22. Notification to Board of adoption application, where child not placed by adoption agency

      2. 23. Enquiries to be made of Board, where child is to be placed by registered adoption society

      3. 24. Reports to court where child placed by agency

      4. 25. Restrictions on making adoption orders

      5. 26. Interim orders

      6. Art. 27. rep. by 1995 NI 2

5. PART IV CARE AND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AWAITING ADOPTION

   1. Restrictions on removal of children

      1. 28. Restrictions on removal where adoption agreed or application made under Article 17(1) or 18(1)

      2. 29. Restrictions on removal where applicant has provided home for 5 years

      3. 30. Return of child taken away in breach of Article 28 or 29

      4. 31. Return of children placed for adoption by adoption agencies

      5. 32. Application of Article 31 where child not placed for adoption

   2. Protected children

      1. 33. Meaning of “protected child”

      2. 34. Duty of Boards to secure well-being of protected children

      3. Art. 35 rep. with saving by 1995 NI 2

      4. 36. Notices and information to be given to Boards

      5. 37. Offences relating to protected children

      6. 38. Miscellaneous provisions relating to protected children

6. PART V STATUS OF ADOPTED CHILDREN

   1. 39. Meaning of “adoption” in Part V

   2. 40. Status conferred by adoption

   3. 41. Adoptive relatives

   4. 42. Rules of construction for instruments concerning property

   5. 43. Dispositions depending on date of birth

   6. 44. Property devolving with peerages, etc.

   7. 45. Protection of trustees and personal representatives

   8. 46. Meaning of “disposition”

   9. 47. Miscellaneous

   10. 48. Pensions

   11. 49. Insurance

7. PART VI REGISTRATION, AMENDMENT AND REVOCATION OF ADOPTION ORDERS

   1. The Adopted Children Register

      1. 50. Adopted Children Register

      2. 51. Registration of adoption orders

      3. 52. Amendment of orders and rectification of Registers

      4. 53. Registration of adoptions made outside Northern Ireland

   2. Disclosure of records

      1. 54. Disclosure of birth records of adopted children

      2. 54A. Adoption Contact Register

   3. Revocation of certain adoptions

      1. 55. Revocation of adoptions on legitimation

      2. 55A. Annulment etc. of overseas adoptions

      3. 55B. Provisions supplementary to Article 55A

   4. Regulations

      1. 56. Regulations for purposes of Part VI

8. PART VII MISCELLANEOUS AND SUPPLEMENTAL

   1. Miscellaneous provisions

      1. 57. Adoption by persons domiciled outside Northern Ireland

      2. 58. Restriction on removal of children for adoption outside Northern Ireland

      3. 58ZA. Restriction on bringing children into the United Kingdom for adoption

      4. 58ZB. Effect of determinations in Convention countries, etc.

      5. 58A. Orders made in adoption proceedings outside Northern Ireland

      6. 59. Prohibition on certain payments

      7. 59A. Permitted allowances

      8. 60. Restriction on advertisements

      9. 61. Prohibition of wrongful disclosure of information

   2. Evidence and procedure

      1. 62. Evidence of agreement and consent

      2. 63. Evidence of adoptions, etc.

      3. 64. Removal of proceedings and appeals

      4. 65. Proceedings to be in private

      5. 66. Guardians ad litem

      6. 66A. Panels for selection of guardians ad litem

      7. 67. Adoption rules

   3. Supplemental

      1. 68. Regulations

      2. Art. 69 rep. by 2005 c. 12

      3. 70. Power of Department to conduct or assist research

      4. 71. Inspection

      5. 72. Transitional provisions, savings, amendments and repeals

9. SCHEDULES

   1. SCHEDULE 1

      1. 1. Constitution

      2. 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      3. 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      4. 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      5. 5. Procedure

      6. 6. Costs

   2. SCHEDULE 2

      FORM OF ENTRY IN ADOPTED CHILDREN REGISTER

   3. SCHEDULE 3

      TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS AND SAVINGS

      1. 1. Where any period of time specified in a statutory provision repealed by this Order is...

      2. 2. Sub‐para. (1) rep. 1995 NI 2 (2) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of Article 52, shall...

      3. 3. Any register, or index to a register, kept under the Adoption Act (Northern Ireland) 1967,...

      4. 4. (1) Article 40— (a) does not apply to an existing instrument or statutory provision in...

      5. 5. The reference in Article 58(1) to an order under Article 57 includes an order under...

      6. 6. The provisions of this Schedule shall have effect without prejudice to sections 28 and 29...

      7. 7. In this Schedule “commencement date” for the purpose of any provision of this Schedule, means...

   4. SCHEDULE 4—Amendments

      1. SCHEDULE 4—Amendments

   5. SCHEDULE 5—Repeals

      1. SCHEDULE 5—Repeals