The International Recovery of Maintenance (Hague Convention 2007 etc.) Regulations 2012

JurisdictionUK Non-devolved
CitationSI 2012/2814
(1) These Regulations may be cited as the International Recovery of Maintenance (Hague Convention 2007 etc.) Regulations 2012, and, subject as follows, shall come into force on the day on which the Convention enters into force in respect of the European Union, which day will be notified in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes.(2) Regulations 1, 2, 3 and 9, and Schedule 5 come into force on 7th December 2012.(3) Regulation 6 and Schedule 2 come into force on 1st April 2013, except in so far as they apply to the enforcement of a maintenance decision registered under the Convention.(1) Subject as follows, these Regulations extend only to England and Wales.(2) Regulations 1 to 3, 4(2) , 6, 7 and 10 and Schedules 2 and 3 also extend to Scotland.(3) Regulations 1 to 3, 4(2) , 7 and 10 and Schedule 3 also extend to Northern Ireland.(4) Any amendment, repeal or revocation made by these Regulations has the same extent as the enactment to which it relates.
  • In these Regulations—
  • (1) The Lord Chancellor is designated under Article 4 of the Convention as the Central Authority in relation to England and Wales.(2) If a person outside the United Kingdom does not know to which Central Authority in the United Kingdom a communication should be addressed, the person may address it to the Lord Chancellor.
  • Schedule 1 (which contains provisions relating to the establishment, modification, recognition and enforcement in England and Wales pursuant to the Convention of maintenance decisions made in States bound by the Convention
  • Schedule 2 (which contains provisions for the enforcement in England and Wales and Scotland of certain international maintenance obligations in relation to children by way of driving disqualification orders) has effect.
  • Schedule 3 (which contains provisions relating to access to, and the transmission and use of, information) has effect.
  • Schedule 4 (which makes consequential amendments) has effect.
  • Schedule 5 (which contains further amendments
  • carry out a review of the provisions of these Regulations,set out the conclusions of the review in a report, andpublish the report.(2) In carrying out the review the Secretary of State must, so far as is reasonable, have regard to how the Convention has been given effect in other F93Contracting States.set out the objectives intended to be achieved by the provisions of these Regulations,assess the extent to which those objectives are achieved, andassess whether those objectives remain appropriate, and, if so, the extent to which they could be achieved with a system which imposes less regulation.(4) The first report under this regulation must be published before the end of the period of five years beginning with the day specified in regulation 1(1) .(5) Reports under this regulation are afterwards to be published at intervals not exceeding five years.In this Schedule—
    • Contracting State” means a State bound by the Convention ...;
    • court”, in relation to a maintenance decision given in a Contracting State, includes a tribunal, and any administrative authority (within the meaning of Article 19(3) ) with competence to make a decision in respect of a maintenance obligation;
    • maintenance decision” means a decision, or part of a decision, made by a court in a Contracting State, to which Chapter V of the Convention applies by virtue of Article 19(1) .
    In this Schedule, any reference to a numbered Article is a reference to the Article so numbered in the Convention and any reference to a sub-division of a numbered Article shall be construed accordingly.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Subject to sub-paragraph (2) , the court in England and Wales to which an application for registration of a maintenance decision under the Convention is to be made is F54the family court .An application for registration is to be transmitted by the Lord Chancellor to F55the family court (“the registering court”) .the person against whom enforcement is sought is resident in England and Wales, orassets belonging to that person and which are susceptible to enforcement are situated or held in England and Wales.An application for registration shall be determined in the first instance by the prescribed officer of the registering court. In this sub-paragraph and in sub-paragraph (5) , “prescribed” means prescribed by rules of court.The decision of the prescribed officer may be appealed to the registering court in accordance with rules of court.the decision shall be of the same force and effect,the registering court shall have in relation to its enforcement the same powers, andproceedings for or with respect to its enforcement may be taken,Sub-paragraph (6) is subject to sub-paragraph (8) .A maintenance decision which is so registered shall be enforceable in F51the family court in

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