Adoption (Scotland) Act 1978

Part I — The Adoption Service

The Adoption Service

Establishment of Adoption Service

1

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Local authorities' social work

2

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Adoption societies

Approval of adoption societies

3

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Withdrawal of approval

4

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Procedure on refusal to approve, or withdrawal of approval from, adoption societies

5

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Welfare of children

Duty to promote welfare of child

6

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Religious upbringing of adopted child

7

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Supplemental

Inactive or defunct adoption societies

8

Regulation of adoption agencies

9

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Inspection of books, etc., of approved adoption societies

10

Restriction on arranging adoptions and placing of children

11

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Part II — Adoption Orders

The making of adoption orders

Adoption orders

12

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Child to live with adopters before order made

13

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Adoption by married couple

14

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Adoption by one person

15

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Parental agreement

16

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Convention adoption orders

17

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Freeing for adoption

Freeing child for adoption

18

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Progress reports to former parent

19

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Revocation of s. 18 order

20

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Transfer of parental rights and duties between adoption agencies

21

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Supplemental

Notification to local authority of adoption application

22

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Reports where child placed by agency

23

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Restrictions on making adoption orders

24

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Interim orders

25

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Care etc. of child on refusal of adoption order

26

Part III — Care and Protection of Children Awaiting Adoption

Restrictions on removal of children

Restrictions on removal where adoption agreed or application made under s. 18

27

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Restrictions on removal where applicant has provided home for 5 years

28

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Return of child taken away in breach of s. 27 or 28

29

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Return of children placed for adoption by adoption agencies

30

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Application of s. 30 where child not placed for adoption

31

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Protected children

Meaning of " protected child "

32

Duty of local authorities to secure well-being of protected children

33

Removal of protected children from unsuitable surroundings

34

Notices and information to be given to local authorities

35

Offences relating to protected children

36

Miscellaneous provisions relating to protected children

37

Part IV — Status of Adopted Children

Meaning of " adoption order " in Part IV

38

• (1) In this Part “adoption order” means—

• (a) an adoption order within the meaning of section 65(1);

• (b) an adoption order under the Children Act 1975, the Adoption Act 1958, the Adoption Act 1950 or any enactment repealed by the Adoption Act 1950;

• (c) an order effecting an adoption made in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands;

• (cc) a Convention adoption;

• (d) an “overseas adoption”: within the meaning of section 65(2); or

• (e) any other adoption recognised by the law of Scotland;

and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly.

• (2) The definition of adoption order includes, where the context admits, an adoption order which took effect before the commencement of the Children Act 1975.

Status conferred by adoption

39

• (1) A child who is the subject of an adoption order shall be treated in law—

• (a) where the adopters are a married couple, as if—

• (i) he had been born as a... child of the marriage (whether or not he was in fact born after the marriage was constituted); and

• (ii) subject to subsection (2A) he were not the child of any person other than the adopters;

• (b) where the adoption order is made by virtue of section 15(1)(aa) as if—

• (i) he had been born as a ... child of the marriage between the adopter and the natural parent to whom the adopter is married (whether or not he was in fact born after the marriage was constituted); and

• (ii) subject to subsection (2A) he were not the child of any person other than the adopter and that natural parent; and

• (c) in any other case, as if—

• (i) he had been born as a ... child of the adopter; and

• (ii) subject to subsection (2A) he were not the child of any person other than the adopter.

• (2) Where a child has been adopted by one of his natural parents as sole adoptive parent and the adopter thereafter marries the other natural parent, subsection (1) shall not affect any enactment or rule of law whereby, by virtue of the marriage, the child is rendered the ... child of both natural parents.

• (2A) Where, in the case of a child adopted under a Convention adoption, the Court of Session is satisfied, on an application under this subsection—

• (a) that under the law of the country in which the adoption was effected the adoption is not a full adoption;

• (b) that the consents referred to in Article 4(c) and (d) of the Convention have not been given for a full adoption, or that the United Kingdom is not the receiving State (within the meaning of Article 2 of the Convention); and

• (c) that it would be more favourable to the child for a direction to be given under this subsection,

the Court may direct that sub-paragraph (ii) of, as the case may be, paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subsection (1) shall not apply, or shall not apply to such extent as may be specified in the direction: and in this subsection “full adoption” means an adoption by virtue of which the child falls to be treated in law as if he were not the child of any person other than the adopters or adopter.

• (3) This section has effect—

• (a) in the case of an adoption before 1st January 1976, from that date, and

• (b) in the case of any other adoption, from the date of the adoption.

• (4) Subject to the provisions of this Part, this section—

• (a) applies for the construction of enactments or instruments passed or made before or after the commencement of this Act so far as the context admits; and

• (b) does not affect things done or events occurring before the adoption or, where the adoption took place before 1st January 1976, before that date.

• (5) This section has effect subject to the provisions of section 44.

Citizenship

40

Miscellaneous enactments

41

• (1) Section 39 does not apply in determining the forbidden degrees of consanguinity and affinity in respect of the law relating to marriage , to the eligibility of persons to register as civil partners of each other or in respect of the crime of incest, except that, on the making of an adoption order, the adopter and the child shall be deemed, for all time coming, to be within the said forbidden degrees in respect of the law relating to marriage , to such eligibility and to incest.

• (2) . . . section 39 does not apply for the purposes of any provision of—

• (a) the British Nationality Act 1981,

• (b) the Immigration Act 1971,

• (c) any instrument having effect under an enactment within paragraph (a) or (b), or

• (d) any other law for the time being in force which determines British citizenship, British Dependent Territories citizenship , the status of a British National (Overseas) or British Overseas citizenship.

• (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pensions

42

Section 39(1) does not affect entitlement to a pension which is payable to or for the benefit of a child and is in payment at the time of his adoption.

Insurance

43

Where a child is adopted whose natural parent has effected an insurance with a friendly society or a collecting society or an industrial insurance company for the payment on the death of the child of money for funeral expenses, the rights and liabilities under the policy shall by virtue of the adoption be transferred to the adoptive parents who shall for the purposes of the enactments relating to such societies and companies be treated as the person who took out the policy.

Effect of s. 39 on succession and inter vivos deed

44

Section 39 (status conferred by adoption) does not affect the existing law relating to adopted persons in respect of—

• (a) the succession to a deceased person (whether testate or intestate), and

• (b) the disposal of property by virtue of any inter vivos deed.

Part V — Registration and Revocation of Adoption Orders and Convention Adoptions

Adopted Children Register

45

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Revocation of adoptions on legitimation

46

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Annulment etc. of overseas adoptions

47

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Provisions supplementary to ss. 46(2) and 47

48

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Part VI — Miscellaneous and Supplemental

Adoption of children abroad

49

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Restriction on removal of children for adoption outside Great Britain

50

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Prohibition on certain payments

51

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Restriction on advertisements

52

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Effect of determination and orders made in England and Wales and overseas in adoption proceedings

53

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Evidence of adoption in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

54

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Evidence of agreement and consent

55

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Courts

56

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Proceedings to be in private

57

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Curators ad litem and reporting officers

58

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Rules of procedure

59

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Orders, rules and regulations

60

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Offences by bodies corporate

61

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Service of notices etc.

62

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Nationality

63

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Internal law of a country

64

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Interpretation

65

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Transitional provisions, amendments and repeals

66

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Short title, commencement and extent

67

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SCHEDULE 1

Registration of adoption orders

1

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Registration of adoptions in England, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands

2

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Registration of foreign adoptions

3

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Amendment of orders and rectification of registers

4

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Marking of entries on re-registration of birth

5

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Cancellations in registers on legitimation

6

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7

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SCHEDULE 2

General

1

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2

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3

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4

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Existing adoption orders

5

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Payments relating to adoptions

6

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Registers of adoptions

7

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Commencement of Act

8

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SCHEDULE 3

Children Act 1958 (c. 65)

1

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2

In section 6(1)(f) of the said Act of 1958, for the words from " Act 1958 " to " removal" there shall be substituted the words " Act 1958 or section 34 of the Adoption Act 1976 or section 34 of the Adoption (Scotland) Act 1978 for the removal ".

3

In section 17 of the said Act of 1958, for the definition of " relative " there shall be substituted the words " " relative " has the same meaning as in the Adoption (Scotland) Act 1978 ".

Succession (Scotland) Act 1964 (c. 41)

4

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5

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Legitimation (Scotland Act 1968 (c. 22)

6

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7

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Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (c. 49)

8

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9

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10

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11

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12

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13

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14

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15

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Children Act 1975 (c. 72)

16

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17

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18

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19

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SCHEDULE 4

Establishment of Adoption Service.

6A

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22A

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25A

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Status conferred by adoption.

Parental agreement.

50A

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51A

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51B

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Provisions supplementary to ss. 46(2) and 47.

Editorial notes

[^c11090011]: Power to amend Act conferred (5.7.1994) by Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (c. 37, SIF 83:1), s. 30(9)(10) (with ss. 39(3), 43(2)); S.I. 1994/1776, art. 2(1)

[^c11090021]: Act not in force at Royal Assent; wholly in force at 1.2.1985

[^c11090031]: Act modified (1.11.1994) by S.I. 1994/2804, art. 2, Sch. 1

[^c11093341]: 1975 c. 72.

[^c11093351]: 1958 c. 5 (7 & 8 Eliz. 2).

[^c11093361]: 1950 c. 26.

[^c11093371]: 1975 c. 72.

[^c11093441]: S. 39(1) substituted (1.4.1997) by 1995 c. 36, s. 97(3) (with s. 103(1)); S.I. 1996/3201, art. 3(7) (as amended by S.I. 1997/744, arts. 2, 3)

[^c11093451]: Word in s. 39(2) substituted by Law Reform (Parent and Child) (Scotland) Act 1986 (c. 9, SIF 49:8), ss. 10(1), 11(4), Sch. 1 para. 18(2)

[^c11093511]: S. 40 repealed by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), Sch. 9

[^c11093531]: Words repealed by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(8), Sch. 9

[^c11093541]: Words substituted by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(6), Sch. 7

[^c11093551]: 1971 c. 77

[^c11093561]: Words substituted by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(6), Sch. 7

[^c11093571]: Words inserted by S.I. 1986/948, art. 8, Sch.

[^c11093581]: S. 41(3)–(5) repealed by Social Security Act 1988 (c. 7, SIF 113:1), ss. 16, 19(3), Sch. 5

[^c11093331]: Part IV (meaning of "adopted ") applied (5.4.1993) by Child Support Act 1991 (SIF 20, c. 48), s. 26(3) (with s. 9(2)); S.I. 1992/2644, art.2

[^key-284623cece7da13b7b9aee6ee31b4317]: S. 38(1)(cc) inserted (1.6.2003) by Adoption (Intercountry Aspects) Act 1999 (c. 18), ss. 5(1), 18(3) (with s. 17); S.S.I. 2003/121, art. 2(c)

[^key-6236d41a57e0e2b2ac72169c7b92be79]: Words in s. 39(1) inserted (1.6.2003) by Adoption (Intercountry Aspects) Act 1999 (c. 18), ss. 5(2), 18(3) (with s. 17); S.S.I. 2003/121, art. 2(c)

[^key-b6adf50a3d42ccad6393379abb8d6c59]: Words in s. 41(1) inserted (5.12.2005) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), ss. 86(10)(a), 263(3); S.S.I. 2005/604, art. 2(b)

[^key-e28c619eb56b33af51b611d11c20f02f]: Words in s. 41(1) substituted (5.12.2005) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), ss. 86(10)(b), 263(3); S.S.I. 2005/604, art. 2(b)

[^key-2b5745da5cbb1e9838615e62c1bba20a]: Word in s. 39(1) repealed (4.5.2006) by Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 2), s. 46(2), sch. 3; S.S.I. 2006/212, art. 2

[^key-51fe502811efb17db1cc83d403468e54]: Word in s. 39(2) repealed (4.5.2006) by Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 2), s. 46(2), sch. 3; S.S.I. 2006/212, art. 2

[^key-fce4f9212236262ddd3aa9b6daee797c]: Pt. IV applied (28.9.2009) by Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 4), ss. 39(3), 121(2); S.S.I. 2009/267, arts. 1(2), 2 (with arts. 3-21) (as amended (7.5.2012) by S.S.I. 2012/99, art. 2)

[^key-55bce8e377438f3483e51967ee86099e]: Act repealed (except Pt. IV) (28.9.2009) by Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 4), s. 121(2), sch. 3 (with savings by The Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (Consequential Provisions) (No. 1) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/2233), art. 2); S.S.I. 2009/267, arts. 1(2), 2 (with arts. 3-21) (as amended (7.5.2012) by S.S.I. 2012/99, art. 2)

[^key-530e2a9f6565d79bbfb9b61b96a91c56]: Act: power to modify conferred (1.10.2009) by Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (c. 22), ss. 55, 68(2); S.I. 2009/2232, art. 2(q)

[^key-cc4331a9ad494fc4fc7f2d1fc9823e2c]: S. 39 modified (21.12.2018) by The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Parental Orders) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1412), reg. 1(2), Sch. 4 para. 7

[^key-ed25a2c4d50d23653980fbe0fdab03c1]: S. 41(1) modified (21.12.2018) by The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Parental Orders) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1412), reg. 1(2), Sch. 4 para. 8

[^key-d52c3583814725ae92ac2eb54117b979]: S. 44 modified (21.12.2018) by The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Parental Orders) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1412), reg. 1(2), Sch. 4 para. 9

[^M_F_2e50621d-a450-4fce-ccb7-f9ae89e36b49]: S. 39(2A) inserted (1.6.2003) by Adoption (Intercountry Aspects) Act 1999 (c. 18), ss. 5(3), 18(3) (with s. 17); S.S.I. 2003/121, art. 2(c)

Meaning of “adoption order”: in Part IV.

Transitional provisions, amendments and repeals.

Revocation of adoptions on legitimation.

Short title, commencement and extent.

29A

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53A

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53B

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Further consequences of placement and placement orders

53C

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Evidence of adoption in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Proceedings to be in private.

Transitional provisions, amendments and repeals.