Post-Adoption Contact Reform: Compounding the State-Ordered Termination of Parenthood?
[2014] Cambridge Law Journal 378
University of Cambridge Faculty of Law Research Paper No. 42/2013
31 Pages Posted: 16 Oct 2013 Last revised: 18 Dec 2015
Date Written: October 1, 2013
Abstract
The Children and Families Act 2014 pursues the twin policies of increasing the number of children adopted out of compulsory state care and reducing the scope for court-ordered contact between such children and their birth families. Building upon previous work by Dr. Kirsty Hughes and myself, this paper critically evaluates these reforms to post-adoption contact in view of the fact that adoption terminates the legal relationship of parent and child. Aspects of the analysis include the impact of the proposals on "open adoption" and child welfare in the light of the available empirical evidence, and their compatibility with both the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Note: The text of this paper has been removed in accordance with the journal's policy and is available on its website.
Keywords: child protection, human rights, UNCRC, ECHR, identity, law reform
JEL Classification: K30, K36
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation