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TG initiative seeks to resolve adoption ambiguity

Photo by Johnny Bugeja

The Gibraltar Parliament will debate an amendment to the Adoption Act after Together Gibraltar leader, Marlene Hassan Nahon, yesterday put forward a motion to establish the exact age for adoption when it comes to older children.

“The amendment concerns an ambiguity regarding the age of a person to be adopted for the purposes of an adoption order under the Adoption Act 1951,” TG said in a statement.

“Under the current legislation, it is not clear when the registered age of the adopted person should be; whether it should be the age at the time the adoption application is filed, or the age that the adoption order is finally determined.”

The matter was raised first to Government and subsequently to the leader of TG by local lawyer Philip Vasquez, Ms Hassan Nahon said.

Mr Vasquez had encountered this problematic ambiguity in the course of his professional affairs and had raised it with the Gibraltar Bar Council.

He then researched and analysed the required legislative amendments, with the support of the bar council, and offered them for implementation.

“Resolving this ambiguity will somewhat clarify the position for some adoptive families who may be processing an adoption at around the age of 18,” the party added.

“The party would like to show its gratitude to Government for its support, to the GSD for also being on board, and of course to Mr Vasquez for being the initiator and for carrying out the required research and proposals for this change in the legislation.”

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