Order 90 shall be amended by inserting, after rule 47, the following new Part—
REGISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF CUSTODY ORDERS
Interpretation
(48)
(1) In this Part of this Order, unless the context otherwise requires—
“ the Act ” means the Family Law Act 1986;
“the appropriate court” means,in relation to Scotland, the Court of Session and, in relation to Northern Ireland, the High Court;
“the Deputy Principal Clerk” means the Deputy Principal Clerk of Session;
“custody order” means a custody order within the meaning of sections 1, 32, 40, 42(5) and 42(6) of the Act;
“register” means the register kept for the purposes of the Act;
“the Master” means the Master (Care and Protection) of the High Court in Northern Ireland;
“registration” means registration under Part I of the Act, and “registered” shall be construed accordingly.
(2) The prescribed officer for the purposes of sections 27(4) and 28(1) of the Act shall be the secretary of the principal registry, and the jurisdiction of the Court under sections 27(3) and 28(1) of the Act shall be performed by the prescribed officer, who shall be—
(a) the secretary of the principal registry, if the custody order was made by the High Court in proceedings pending in the principal registry, or
(b) the chief clerk or any other officer of a district registry acting on his behalf in accordance with directions given by the Lord Chancellor, if the custody order was made by the High Court outside London.
Application to register English custody order
(49)
(1) An application under section 27 of the Act for the registration of a custody order made by the High Court shall be made by lodging in the principal registry or the district registry, as the case may be, a certified copy of the order, together with a copy of any order which has varied any of the terms of the original order and an affidavit by the applicant, and a copy thereof, which shall state—
(a) the name and address of the applicant and his interest under the order;
(b) the name and date of birth of the child in respect of whom the order was made, his whereabouts or suspected whereabouts and the name of any person with whom he is alleged to be;
(c) the name and address of any other person who is known to the applicant to have an interest under the order and whether it has been served on him;
(d) whether the order is to be registered in Scotland or Northern Ireland or in both jurisdictions;
(e) that, to the best of the applicant’s information and belief, the order is in force;
(f) whether, and if so where, the order is already registered; and
(g) details of any order known to the applicant which affects the child and is in force in the jurisdiction in which the custody order is to be registered.
(2) There shall be exhibited to the affidavit any document relevant to the application.
(3) Where the documents referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) are to be sent to the appropriate court the prescribed officer shall—
(a) retain the affidavit and send the copy thereof and the other documents to the Deputy Principal Clerk or to the Master, as the case may be, indicating, where the order relates to more than one child, with respect to which child or children it is to be registered, and
(b) record the fact of transmission in the court minutes.
(4) On receipt of notice of the registration of a custody order in the appropriate court the prescribed officer shall record the fact of registration in the court minutes.
(5) If it appears to the prescribed officer that the custody order is no longer in force with respect to a child or more than one child or that a child or more than one child has attained the age of 16, he shall refuse to send the documents referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) to the appropriate court or shall indicate thereon with respect to which child or children the order is not to be registered, and he shall within 14 days give notice to the applicant of his refusal or indication and the reason for it.
(6) If the prescribed officer refuses to send the documents to the appropriate court, the applicant may apply by summons to the judge in chambers for an order that the documents be sent to the appropriate court or that they be sent with respect to a particular child or children.
Registration of Scottish and Northern Ireland custody orders
(50) On receipt of a certified copy of a custody order made in Scotland or Northern Ireland for registration, the prescribed officer shall—
(a) register the order in the register by entering particulars of—
(i) the name and address of the applicant and his interest under the order;
(ii) the name and whereabouts or suspected whereabouts of the child, his date of birth, and the date on which he will attain the age of 16; and
(iii) the terms of the order, its date and the court which made it;
(b) file the certified copy and accompanying documents; and
(c) give notice to the court which sent the certified copy and to the applicant for registration that the order has been registered.
Revocation and variation of English order
(51)
(1) Where a custody order which is registered in the appropriate court is revoked or varied by the High Court, the prescribed officer of the court making the subsequent order shall—
(a) send a copy of the subsequent order to the Deputy Principal Clerk or to the Master, as the case may be, and to the court which made the custody order, if that court is different from the court making the subsequent order, for filing by that court,
(b) record the fact of transmission in the court minutes, and
(c) retain the subsequent order.
(2) On receipt of notice from the appropriate court of any amendment of its register, the prescribed officers of the court which made the custody order and of the court which made any subsequent order shall each record the fact of amendment in the court minutes.
Registration of revoked, recalled or varied Scottish or Northern Ireland order
(52)
(1) On receipt of a certified copy of an order made in Scotland or Northern Ireland which revokes, recalls or varies a registered custody order, the prescribed officer shall enter particulars of the revocation, recall or variation, as the case may be, in the register, and give notice of the entry to—
(a) the court which sent the certified copy,
(b) if different, the court which made the custody order,
(c) the applicant for registration, and
(d) if different, the applicant for the revocation, recall or variation of the order.
(2) An application under section 28(2) of the Act shall be made by summons and may be heard and determined by a registrar.
(3) If the applicant for the custody order is not the applicant under section 28(2) of the Act he shall be made a defendant to the application.
(4) Where the court cancels a registration of its own motion or on an application under paragraph (2), the prescribed officer shall amend the register accordingly and shall give notice of the amendment to the court which made the custody order.
Interim directions
(53)
(1) An application for interim directions under section 29 of the Act shall be made by summons and may be heard and determined by a registrar.
(2) The parties to the proceedings for enforcement and, if he is not a party thereto, the applicant for the custody order, shall be made parties to the application.
Staying and dismissal of enforcement proceedings
(54)
(1) An application under section 30(1) or 31(1) of the Act shall be made by summons and may be heard and determined by a registrar.
(2) The parties to the proceedings for enforcement which are sought to be stayed and, if he is not a party thereto, the applicant for the custody order, shall be made parties to an application under either of the said sections.
(3) Where the court makes an order under section 30(2) or (3) or section 31(3), the prescribed officer shall amend the register accordingly and shall give notice of the amendment to the court which made the custody order and to the applicants for registration, for enforcement and for the stay or dismissal of the proceedings for enforcement.
Particulars of other proceedings
(55) A party to proceedings for or relating to a custody order who knows of other proceedings (including proceedings out of the jurisdiction and concluded proceedings) which relate to the child concerned shall file an affidavit which shall state—
(a) in which jurisdiction and court the other proceedings were instituted;
(b) the nature and current state of such proceedings and the relief claimed or granted;
(c) the names of the parties to such proceedings and their relationship to the child;
(d) if applicable, and if known, the reasons why the relief claimed in the proceedings for or relating to the custody order was not claimed in the other proceedings.
Inspection of register
(56) Notwithstanding rule 2A—
(a) the applicant for registration of a registered custody order,
(b) any person who satisfies a registrar of the Family Division that he has an interest under the custody order, and
(c) any person who obtains the leave of a registrar of the Family Division,
may inspect any entry in the register relating to the order and may bespeak copies of the order and of any document relating thereto.