(1) The court cannot dispense with the consent of any parent or guardian of a child to the child being placed for adoption or to the making of an adoption order in respect of the child unless the court is satisfied that- (a) the parent or guardian cannot be found or is incapable of giving consent, or (b) the welfare of the child requires the consent to be dispensed with.
The mother's consent has to be given at least six weeks after the child's birth.
I don't think this section is in effect yet - the latest order is here and lists the various sections that have. In any case, although it won't be reterospective and there were more grounds for ignoring a parent's wishes before (eg if they were 'unreasonably witholding consent').
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baggyeyes
(no subject)
Date: 2003-12-11 06:02 am (UTC)52 Parental etc. consent
(1) The court cannot dispense with the consent of any parent or guardian of a child to the child being placed for adoption or to the making of an adoption order in respect of the child unless the court is satisfied that-
(a) the parent or guardian cannot be found or is incapable of giving consent, or
(b) the welfare of the child requires the consent to be dispensed with.
The mother's consent has to be given at least six weeks after the child's birth.
I don't think this section is in effect yet - the latest order is here and lists the various sections that have. In any case, although it won't be reterospective and there were more grounds for ignoring a parent's wishes before (eg if they were 'unreasonably witholding consent').
Have a look at the House of Commons briefing paper when the act was introduced as a bill: http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2001/rp01-078.pdf
I'm going to 'pass' on the contact issue - there are some changes.