The Adoption of Olivia (a pseudonym) and Beatrice (a pseudonym) [2024] NSWSC 1473

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: The Adoption of Olivia (a pseudonym) and Beatrice (a pseudonym) [2024] NSWSC 1473 Hearing dates: 29 October 2024 Date of orders: 29 October 2024 Decision date: 20 November 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity - Adoptions List Before: Stevenson J Decision: Adoption orders made Catchwords: CHILD WELFARE – adoption – adoption plan – where birth parents oppose adoption but have disengaged from proceedings – where birth parents have indicated, if children not restored to their care, that they will not participate in post-adoption contact – whether proposed adoption plan is in children's best interests and proper in the circumstances Legislation Cited: Adoption Act 2000 (NSW) Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Adoption of RCC and RZA [2015] NSWSC 813 Adoption of Taylor-Clay [2019] NSWSC 27 Director-General, NSW Department of Family and Community Services Re JS [2013] NSWSC 306 Re Adoption of JLK [2017] NSWSC 7 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Secretary, New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice, by his delegate, Principal Officer, Adoptions, Barnardos Australia (Plaintiff) "Nicole" (not her real name) (First Defendant) "Paul" (not his real name) (Second Defendant) Representation: Solicitors: Crown Solicitor's Office (Plaintiff) First Defendant (self-represented) Second Defendant (self-represented) File Number(s): 2024/153179 Publication restriction: This judgment has been anonymised pursuant to s 180 of the Adoption Act 2000 (NSW)