To the Honourable Jeff Shaw QC MLC
Attorney General for New South Wales
Dear Attorney
Review of the Adoption of Children Act 1965 (NSW)
We make this final Report pursuant to the reference to this Commission dated 1 December 1992.
Michael Adams QC
(Chairman)
The Hon Justice Richard Chisholm
(Commissioner)
Terms of Reference
In a letter to the Chairman of the New South Wales Law Reform Commission dated 27 November 1992, the Attorney General, the Hon John P Hannaford MLC referred the following matters to the Commission for inquiry and report:
- The Commission is to review the current scope and operation of the Adoption of Children Act 1965 and in particular to consider:
- the criteria for the selection of the adoptive parents, regulation of standards of practice and recognition of adoption agencies and support groups;
- the relationship between adoption and other forms of permanent care;
- intra-family adoption;
- the relevance of reproduction technology and surrogacy to adoption law;
- the relevance of Aboriginal customary law, and ethnic and racial heritage;
- inter-country adoption and overseas orders of adoption having special regard to any international treaties or conventions to which Australia is a party; and
- any related matter.
Participants
The Law Reform Commission is constituted by the Law Reform Commission Act 1967 (NSW). For the purpose of this reference, the Chairman, in accordance with the Act, created a Division comprising the following members of the Commission:
Mr Michael Adams QC (from 3 October 1996)
The Hon Justice R Chisholm*
The Hon G J Samuels AC QC (until 28 February 1996)
The Hon H D Sperling (until 11 October 1996)
Ms Jane Stackpool (until 2 October 1996)
Professor David Weisbrot (until 7 October 1994)
Officers of the Commission
Executive Director
Research and Writing
Ms Stephanie East
Ms Catherine Gray
Ms Robyn Johansson
Librarian
Desktop Publishing
Ms Julie Freeman
Ms Leanne Nowakowski
Administrative Assistance
