Civil Partnership Act 2004

199 Parental responsibility, children of the family and relatives

(1) Amend the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/755 (N.I. 2)) (“the 1995 Order”) as follows.

(2) In Article 2(2) (interpretation), for the definition of “child of the family” in relation to the parties to a marriage, substitute—

““child of the family”, in relation to parties to a marriage, or to two people who are civil partners of each other, means—

(a) a child of both of them, and

(b) any other child, other than a child placed with them as foster parents by an authority or voluntary organisation, who has been treated by both of them as a child of their family.”

(3) In the definition of “relative” in Article 2(2), for “by affinity)” substitute “by marriage or civil partnership)”.

(4) In Article 7(1C) (acquisition of parental responsibility by step-parent), after “is married to” insert “, or a civil partner of,”.