Children Act 1989

8 Residence, contact and other orders with respect to children. E+W

(1) In this Act —

• “a contact order” means an order requiring the person with whom a child lives, or is to live, to allow the child to visit or stay with the person named in the order, or for that person and the child otherwise to have contact with each other;

• “a prohibited steps order” means an order that no step which could be taken by a parent in meeting his parental responsibility for a child, and which is of a kind specified in the order, shall be taken by any person without the consent of the court;

• “a residence order” means an order settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom a child is to live; and

• “a specific issue order” means an order giving directions for the purpose of determining a specific question which has arisen, or which may arise, in connection with any aspect of parental responsibility for a child.

(2) In this Act “a section 8 order” means any of the orders mentioned in subsection (1) and any order varying or discharging such an order.

(3) For the purposes of this Act “family proceedings” means any proceedings—

(a) under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court in relation to children; and

(b) under the enactments mentioned in subsection (4),

but does not include proceedings on an application for leave under section 100(3).

(4) The enactments are—

(a) Parts I, II and IV of this Act;

(b) the M1 Matrimonial Causes Act 1973;

[F1 (c) the M2 Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1976;]

(d) the M3 Adoption Act 1976;

(e) the M4 Domestic Proceedings and Magistrates’ Courts Act 1978;

[F1 (f) sections 1 and 9 of the M5 Matrimonial Homes Act 1983;]

(g) Part III of the M6 Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984.

[F2 (h) the Family Law Act 1996]

[F3 (i) sections 11 and 12 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 8(4)(c) and (f) repealed (1.10.1997) by 1996 c. 27, ss. 66(1)(3), Sch. 8 Pt. III para. 60(1), Sch. 10(with Sch. 9 para. 5); S.I. 1997/1892, art. 3(1)(b)(d)

F2 S. 8(4)(h) inserted (1.10.1997) by 1996 c. 27, ss. 66(1), Sch. 8 Pt. III para. 60(1) : S.I. 1997/1892, art. 3(1)(b)

F3 S. 8(4)(i) inserted (30.9.1998) by 1998 c. 37, s. 119, Sch. 8 para.68; S.I. 1998/2327, art.2(1)(y)(2)(u) (subject to arts. 5-8)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 8 wholly in force at the 14.10.1991 see s. 108(2)(3) and S.I. 1991/828, art. 3(2)

Marginal Citations

M1 1973 c. 18.

M2 1976 c. 50.

M3 1976 c. 36.

M4 1978 c. 22.

M5 1983 c. 19.

M6 1984 c. 42.