NSW Inquiry into Same Sex Adoption

NSW Inquiry into Same Sex Adoption

Submissions to the New South Wales Parliament inquiry into same sex adoption close at midnight this Friday, 13th February.

The inquiry is by the Upper House’s Law and Justice Committee. Its terms of reference are:

 

 

That the Standing Committee on Law and Justice inquire into and report on law
reform issues regarding whether NSW adoption laws should be amended to allow
same sex couples to adopt, with particular reference to:
a. ascertaining whether adoption by same sex couples would further the objectives of the Adoption Act 2000
b. the experience in other Australian and overseas jurisdictions that allow the adoption of children by same sex couples
c. whether there is scope within the existing programs (local and international)
for same sex couples to be able to adopt
d. examining the implications of adoption by same sex couples for children, and
e. if adoption by same sex couples will promote the welfare of children, then examining what legislative changes are required.

 

 

For more details about the inquiry and how to make submissions, click here.

Request an Appointment
Fill in the form below to find out if you have a claim.
Request an Appointment - Stephen Page
Things to Read, Watch & Listen

Why adoption has become “institutionally invisible” in Queensland

Queensland’s child protection system is facing an urgent and deeply troubling question: why are children who cannot safely return home being left in state care for years, often moving from placement to placement, without genuine consideration of adoption? The recent Child Safety Inquiry has put that question squarely on the table. Its findings are confronting.… Read More »Why adoption has become “institutionally invisible” in Queensland

Queensland sperm donor family limits explained

  Queensland’s new sperm donor family limits were meant to provide sensible safeguards for children conceived through donor treatment. Instead, Queensland Health has adopted an interpretation that appears to split a female same sex couple into two separate families. That position is difficult to reconcile with the law, common sense, and the lived reality of… Read More »Queensland sperm donor family limits explained

South Australia surrogacy agreements: are they unlawful?

South Australia takes a distinctly narrow approach to surrogacy agreements. The issue is not simply whether a proposed arrangement is altruistic, or whether everyone involved has acted with the best of intentions. Under the Surrogacy Act 2019 (SA), the first question is whether the arrangement falls into the category of a lawful surrogacy agreement. That… Read More »South Australia surrogacy agreements: are they unlawful?

Family Law Section Law Council of Australia Award
Member of Queensland law society
Family law Practitioners Association
International Academy of Family Lawyers - IAFL
Mediator Standards Board