The Adoption of Hattie (a pseudonym) [2024] NSWSC 1212

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: The Adoption of Hattie (a pseudonym) [2024] NSWSC 1212 Hearing dates: On the papers Date of orders: 26 September 2024 Decision date: 26 September 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity - Adoptions List Before: McGrath J Decision: Orders for adoption made; consent of birth parents dispensed with; change of name approved Catchwords: CHILD WELFARE — adoption — where proposed adoptive parents are child's current foster parents — where birth father recently identified and declaration of parentage sought — whether adoption order is in child's best interests — whether birth parents' consent should be dispensed with — whether change of name should be approved Legislation Cited: Adoption Act 2000 (NSW) ss 8, 23, 28, 30, 52, 66, 67, 72, 90, 101, 180 Children and Young People Act 2008 (ACT) s 514B Status of Children Act 1996 (NSW) s 21 Cases Cited: A Child Proposed for Adoption [2019] NSWSC 1653 Adoption of RCC and RZA [2015] NSWSC 813 Re B (A Minor) [2001] UKHL 70; [2002] 1 All ER 241 Re B (Adoption: Jurisdiction to Set Aside) [1995] Fam 239; [1995] 3 All ER 333 Re the Adoption of CCS and FLS [2019] NSWSC 71 Secretary, New South Wales Department of Family and Community Services by his delegate, Principal Officer, Barnardos Australia v MB and JW [2017] NSWSC 1087 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Secretary, New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice by his delegate, Principal Officer, Barnardos Australia (Applicant) Representation: Self-represented File Number(s): 2024/00113306 Publication restriction: This judgment has been anonymised pursuant to s 180 of the Adoption Act 2000 (NSW)