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International Child Abduction
Act 2010

2020 REVISED EDITION

This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021

An Act to give effect to the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and for matters connected therewith.

[1 March 2011]

PART 1

PRELIMINARY

Short title

1. This Act is the International Child Abduction Act 2010.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“Convention” means the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction which was signed at The Hague on 25 October 1980;

“Court” means the General Division of the High Court or a Family Court;

“Minister” means —

(a)	except as provided in paragraph (b), the Minister charged with the responsibility for child welfare and protection; and
(b)	for the purposes of Part 4, the Minister charged with the responsibility for legal aid. [27/2014; 40/2019]

(2) Unless the contrary intention appears, words and expressions used in this Act have the same meanings as in the provisions of the Convention set out in the Schedule.

Certain provisions of Convention to have force of law

3. Despite any written law or rule of law but subject to the provisions of Parts 1 to 5, the provisions of the Convention as set out in the Schedule have the force of law in Singapore.

Contracting States

4.—(1) For the purposes of the Convention, the Contracting States (other than Singapore) are those for the time being specified by the Minister by an order in the Gazette.

(2) An order under subsection (1) must specify the date of coming into force of the Convention as between Singapore and any Contracting State specified in the order, and, except where the order otherwise provides, the Convention applies as between Singapore and that Contracting State only in relation to —

(a)	wrongful removals or retentions of children; or
(b)	breaches of access rights to children,

occurring on or after that date.

(3) Where the Convention applies, or applies only, to a particular territory specified in a declaration made by a Contracting State under Article 39 or 40 of the Convention, references to that Contracting State in subsections (1) and (2) are to be construed as references to that territory.