Case Law Search

Aims of the Convention - Preamble, Arts 1 and 2

Appeal allowed, return refused

Appeal allowed and return refused; the District Court had abused its discretion in declining to invoke its equitable power to hold that the father was disentitled to assert his claim in a United States District Court.

Habitual Residence - Art. 3 | Acquiescence - Art. 13(1)(a) | Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2)

Return refused

Return refused; the removal was wrongful but the standard required under Article 13(1)(a) had been met to indicate that the father had acquiesced.

Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b) | Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2)

Return refused

Return refused; the removal was wrongful, but the court exercised its discretion under Article 13(2) not to make a return order.

Aims of the Convention - Preamble, Arts 1 and 2 | Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b) | Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2) | Settlement of the Child - Art. 12(2)

Return ordered

Return ordered; the standard required under Articles 13(1)(b), 13(2) and 12(2) had not been met.

Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2)

Appeal allowed, return refused

Appeal allowed and return refused; the Court of Appeal declined to order the boy's return on the basis of his objections.

Undertakings | Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2) | Procedural Matters | Interpretation of the Convention

Appeal allowed; case remitted to the Family Court of Australia for a determination to be made as to the children's objections.

Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2)

Return refused

Return refused; the retention was wrongful but the child's objections to a return were upheld.

Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b) | Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2) | Procedural Matters

Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2)

Appeal dismissed, return refused

Return refused: Article 13(2) had been proved to the standard required under the Convention.

Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b)

Return ordered

Return ordered; a grave risk of harm was established but the court nevertheless exercised its discretion to make a return order.

Issues Relating to Return

Appeal dismissed; the decision ordering return must be enforced. The father had not provided any new elements to justify not enforcing the return order.

Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b) | Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2) | Procedural Matters

Appeal dismissed, return ordered

Appeal rejected, return ordered. The retention was considered wrongful and the mother's allegation of grave risk upon return to the United States of America was not found to be proved.

Human Rights - Art. 20

Unanimous: appeal inadmissible; the issues relating to the consistency of the 1980 Convention with the Constitution had been resolved in an earlier case, and admissibility of the appeal was not necessary for the enforcement of fundamental rights.

Rights of Custody - Art. 3 | Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2)

Return refused

Return refused; the retention was wrongful, being in breach of the mother's rights of custody, but the child had valid objections to a return.

Habitual Residence - Art. 3 | Consent - Art. 13(1)(a) | Acquiescence - Art. 13(1)(a) | Procedural Matters

Return ordered

Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b) | Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2) | Brussels IIa Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 of 27 November 2003)

Legal challenge dismissed; the retention was wrongful but decision to refuse to return the child on the basis of the Art. 13 exceptions upheld.

Removal and Retention - Arts 3 and 12 | Rights of Custody - Art. 3 | Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b) | Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2)

Return ordered

Return ordered; the retention was wrongful and none of the exceptions had been proved to the standard required under the Convention.

Habitual Residence - Art. 3 | Removal and Retention - Arts 3 and 12 | Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b) | Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2)

Appeal dismissed, return ordered

Appeal dismissed, return ordered. 

European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) | Procedural Matters

The Chamber unanimously held that there had been a violation of Article 8 of the ECHR in regard to the protracted custody proceedings, but by five votes to two that there had been no violation of Art 8 in regard to the domestic courts' assessment of the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention return petition. Damages were awarded to the applicant.

European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) | Issues Relating to Return | Procedural Matters

The European Court of Human Rights held by six votes to one that there had been a violation of Article 8 of the ECHR on account of the Italian courts' order for the child to be returned to Italy; and unanimously that there had been no violation of Article 8 on account of the mother's absence from the hearing of the Rome Youth Court. Damages were awarded to mother and child.