Access to Adoption Records Act

The Access to Adoption Records Act (known before passage as Bill 12), is an Ontario (Canada) law passed in 2008 regarding the disclosure of information between parties involved in adoptions. It is the successor to the 2005 Adoption Information Disclosure Act, parts of which were struck down in 2007 in a ruling by Judge Edward Belobaba of the Ontario Superior Court. The bill passed third reading on May 14, 2008.

The Act's full name is "An Act to amend the Vital Statistics Act in relation to adoption information and to make consequential amendments to the Child and Family Services Act".[1] The most significant provision of the bill was the introduction of a disclosure veto to allow adoptees and birth parents involved in adoptions to prevent the release of their names, which would otherwise be available upon request by any concerned party once the adoptee reaches the age of majority.

In May 2009, the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services revealed that 2500 people had filed disclosure vetoes between September 1, 2008 and April 30, 2009, with figures split approximately 50-50 between adoptees and birth parents.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Bill 12, Access to Adoption Records Act (Vital Statistics Statute Law Amendment), 2008". Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
  2. ↑ Anderssen, Erin (May 28, 2009). "Opening adoption records in Ontario prompts few requests for secrecy". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-29.

External links