Pursuant to section 10 of the Law Reform Commission Act 1967 (NSW), the then Attorney General, the Honourable J P Hannaford MLC, referred, by letter received on 1 December 1992, the following matter to the Law Reform Commission.

The Commission is to review the current scope and operation of the Adoption of Children Act 1965 and in particular to consider the following:

(i) The criteria for the selection of adoptive parents, regulation of standards of practice and recognition of adoption agencies and support groups;

(ii) The relationship between adoption and other forms of permanent care;

(iii) Intra-family adoption

(iv) the relevance of Aboriginal customary law, and ethnic and racial heritage;

(vi) intercountry adoption and overseas orders of adoption having special regard to any international treaties or conventions to which Australia is a party; and

(vii) any related matter.