Children and Family Relationships Act 2015

Amendment of section 17 of Principal Act

107. Section 17 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) in subsection (1)(a), by the substitution of “the father or second female parent” for “the father”,

(b) by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (2):

“(2) Subject to this section, sections 18 and 18A (inserted by section 109 of the Act of 2015), where an accredited body proposes to place a child for adoption, the accredited body, before placing the child for adoption, shall take such steps as are reasonably practicable to consult the father or second female parent, as the case may be, for the purposes of—

(a) informing him or her of the proposed placement,

(b) explaining the legal implications of, and the procedures related to, adoption, and

(c) ascertaining whether or not he or she objects to the proposed placement.”,

(c) in subsection (3) —

(i) by the substitution of “Where the father or second female parent, as the case may be, indicates to the accredited body that he or she” for “Where the father indicates to the accredited body that he”, and

(ii) in paragraph (b), by the substitution of the following subparagraph for subparagraph (i):

“(i) notify the father or second female parent, as the case may be, and mother in writing in the prescribed manner that the accredited body is deferring the placement for the period specified in the notice, not being less than 21 days, commencing on the date of the notice, for the purpose of affording the father or second female parent, as the case may be, an opportunity to make an application to court under section 6A or 11 (4) of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 , and”,

and

(d) in subsection (5)(b), by the substitution of “the father or second female parent, as the case may be,” for “the father” in each place it occurs.