Case Law Search

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

Appeal dismissed, return ordered

Two children wrongfully retained at ages 14 and 12 – Nationals of Switzerland and Slovakia –Divorced parents – Father national of Switzerland and Slovakia – Mother national of Czech Republic – The children are under joint custody of the parents. The mother has sole care. – Children lived in Spain (until June 2021) – Application for return filed with the Courts of Switzerland on 16 September 2021 – Return ordered

Habitual Residence - Art. 3

Appeal allowed, application dismissed

Appeal allowed and application dismissed by a majority ruling; the child was not habitually resident in the United States at the time of the removal.

Consent - Art. 13(1)(a) | Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b)

Return ordered

Appeal dismissed and return ordered; the removal was wrongful and none of the exceptions had been proved to the standard required under the Convention.

Issues Relating to Return

Case remitted to lower court

Child born in 2006 in Russia ― Father a Russian national, mother a Japanese national ― Married parents living in Moscow from 2007 and later divorced ― Mother retained the child aged nine years in Japan in August 2016 ― Father filed petition for the child’s return in Japanese courts in November 2016 ― Parents agreed on the child’s return, child support and access etc. in conciliation ― Child refused to return ― Father further sought a habeas corpus order ― Parents concluded a judicial settlement ― Mother petitioned for annulment of the return clause reached in conciliation ― Main issue: procedural issues, modification of a return clause made in conciliation.

Rights of Custody - Art. 3 | Article 15 Decision or Determination | Rights of Access - Art. 21

Appeal dismissed, application dismissed

Appeal dismissed and application dismissed; the removal was not wrongful for it had not led to the breach of any rights of custody.

Habitual Residence - Art. 3 | Removal and Retention - Arts 3 and 12 | Settlement of the Child - Art. 12(2) | Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2) | Procedural Matters

Appeal allowed, return ordered

Wrongful retention of a 5-year-old boy – Peruvian and American – Married parents –The child lived in Peru until September 2014, then the family changed its place of habitual residence to the United States – The mother filed a return request before the Peruvian courts on 24 August 2016 – Return ordered – Main issues: Habitual Residence; Removal and Retention; Settlement of the Child; Objections of the Child to a Return – The habitual residence of the child prior to the wrongful retention was in the United States – The mother had rights of custody over the child under the custody and visitation agreement approved by the U.S. court – The wrongful retention occurred because the father did not return with the child by the date established in the travel authorisation issued by the mother – The child was gradually detaching from the mother because of the father’s actions.

Habitual Residence - Art. 3 | Settlement of the Child - Art. 12(2)

Return ordered

Return ordered; the removal wrongful and the exception invoked, Article 12(2), was not applicable.

Removal and Retention - Arts 3 and 12

Appeal dismissed, application dismissed

Appeal dismissed and application dismissed; there had been no wrongful removal as the Convention had not entered into effect between the United Kingdom and Ontario at the relevant date.

Habitual Residence - Art. 3

Appeal dismissed, return ordered

Appeal dismissed and return ordered; the retention was wrongful and the court upheld the trial court's view that the girls were still habitually resident in Germany at the relevant date.

Habitual Residence - Art. 3 | Rights of Custody - Art. 3

Appeal allowed; the court held that the children were habitually resident in France when retained by the mother in the United Kingdom.

Rights of Custody - Art. 3

Return refused

Return refused; the father had no rights amounting to custody rights for the purposes of the Convention. Consequently there could be no wrongful removal.

Rights of Custody - Art. 3

Appeal dismissed, application dismissed

Appeal dismissed and application dissmissed; the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts agreed that no custody rights of the father had been breached and refused to return the boys to Hungary.

Habitual Residence - Art. 3 | Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b) | Undertakings

Return ordered subject to undertakings

Return ordered subject to undertakings; the standard required under Article 13(1)(b) to indicate that the child would face a grave risk of psychological harm had not been met.

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

Return ordered

Return ordered; while the boy's objections to a return were valid and should be taken into account, the girl's were not and it was held that they should not be separated.

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

Appeal allowed, return ordered

Appeal dismissed and return of the children to the United States ordered; the evidence did not support a finding of a grave risk of harm pursuant to Article 13(1)(b).

Rights of Custody - Art. 3 | Interpretation of the Convention

Appeal allowed on the basis that there had been a breach of custody rights and case remitted to the District Court for the making of a return order and any appropriate incidental orders.

Habitual Residence - Art. 3 | Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b) | Objections of the Child to a Return - Art. 13(2) | Procedural Matters

Return refused

Return refused; the removal was wrongful but the standard required under Article 13(2) had been made out with respect to the two older children, while the standard required under Article 13(1)(b) had been made out with respect to the youngest child.

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

Return refused

Removal wrongful but return refused on the basis of the children's objections.

Aims of the Convention - Preamble, Arts 1 and 2 | Rights of Custody - Art. 3 | Interpretation of the Convention

Article 15 declaration refused

Article 15 declaration refused; the removal of the child was not wrongful as no rights of custody had been breached.

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)

Appeal dismissed, return refused

Appeal dismissed and return refused; the standard required under Article 13(1)(b) to indicate the children would face a grave risk of psychological harm had been met.