The “Principles of Adoption” discursive chapter has been a solid component of the Child Law product for a great many years. As the years have gone on, it has grown quite a bit. We are now at that place, where we have been before as a nation, where a document is being readied for the government to consider, seeking to reform New Zealand Adoption law, accepted by all as being well overdue. This time, it is the Ministry of Justice that is finalising its proposals for the government to consider (in 2000 it was the Law Commission), following two rounds of submissions from the public.

In readiness for change, Family Law has sought to significantly review the discursive chapter “Principles of Adoption” and replace it with annotated commentary throughout the existing Adoption Act 1955 in addition to a reviewed, slimmer discursive chapter, which will contain a general introduction and all the material that is not supported by the existing Act. This has enabled not only the all-important updating of a large chapter but also to include annotated commentary on the Act itself, which makes it much easier for practitioners to navigate. If and when a new reforming piece of legislation is formulated and enacted, we will be in a good position to seamlessly put that Act in place with informed commentary.

Associate Professor of Law, Dr Debra Wilson from Canterbury University, has undertaken this task for us to include in the August update. It is hoped to have it up by the end of August. Dr Wilson is also our author for the Surrogacy chapter and the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2004 commentary in Child Law. She is on the Law Commission’s expert panel for their Review of Surrogacy, another much-needed area for new reforming legislation. The Commission notes “The Commission’s recommendations are being considered by the Health Committee as part of its consideration of the Improving Arrangements for Surrogacy Bill that was introduced in Parliament on 23 September 2021. Originally a Member's Bill, the Government announced on 30 May 2023 that it has adopted the Improving Arrangements for Surrogacy Bill as a government bill. The Committee will report back on the Bill by 4 August 2023.”