Case Law Search

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

Return refused

Return refused; the retention was wrongful, but the child objected to a return to the UK and the standard required under Article 13(2) had been established.

Removal and Retention - Arts 3 and 12

Application dismissed

Application dismissed; waiver of custody rights not under duress; no need to determine habitual residence given no wrongful removal or retention.

Removal and Retention - Arts 3 and 12 | Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b) | Human Rights - Art. 20

Appeal dismissed, 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.

Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b) | Non-Convention Issues

Recognition of the custody and access orders was upheld.

Habitual Residence - Art. 3 | Removal and Retention - Arts 3 and 12 | Settlement of the Child - Art. 12(2) | Brussels IIa Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 of 27 November 2003)

Return refused

Appeal dismissed, return ordered

Removal and Retention - Arts 3 and 12 | Settlement of the Child - Art. 12(2)

Appeal allowed and case remitted to the Unified Family Court to determine whether the child was now settled in its new environment.

Return ordered

One child allegedly wrongfully retained at age 1 –Married parents – Father national of Israel – Mother national of Israel – Child lived in USA until 2019 – Application for return filed with the Tel Aviv Family Court of Israel on 20 February 2020 – Return ordered – Main issue: Article 13(1)(b) – COVID-19 did not amount to a grave risk of harm to the child, in fact the medical care for the child may be better in the USA than in Israel as they had medical coverage there.

Issues Relating to Return | Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b)

Appeal dismissed, return ordered

The court rejected the mother’s application to have the use of direct force in enforcement suspended.

Issues Relating to Return

Appeal dismissed, return ordered

The court ordered that the mother be placed in coercive detention for 10 days.

Removal and Retention - Arts 3 and 12 | Habitual Residence - Art. 3 | Rights of Custody - Art. 3 | Procedural Matters |

Return ordered

Return ordered

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

Appeal dismissed, return ordered

1 child wrongfully removed at 4 years  – National of Spain and the United States of America – Married parents – Father national of Spain – Mother national of United States of America – The mother and father had joint custody – Child lived in Turkey until April 2014 (first removal) and April 2015 (second removal)  – Application for return filed with the courts of the United States of America (federal jurisdiction) – Return ordered – Main issue(s): Art. 13(1)(b) grave risk exception to return – an “intolerable situation” can include circumstances where there is conclusive evidence that courts of the State of habitual residence are practically or legally unable to adjudicate custody

Interpretation of the Convention | Human Rights - Art. 20

Return ordered subject to undertakings

Where a grant of asylum has been made by the Home Secretary it is impossible for the court later to order a return of the subject child under the 1980 Hague Convention. Equally, it is impossible for a return order to be made while an asylum claim is pending (including pending an appeal). Such an order would be in direct breach of the principle of non-refoulement.

The court ordered that the children be returned to Israel, but that this order should not take effect until 15 days after the promulgation by the First-tier Tribunal of its decision on the appeal by the mother and the children against the refusal of the grant of asylum by the Home Secretary. If the First-tier Tribunal allowed the appeal then the return order would be stayed. If the First-tier Tribunal dismissed the appeal, then the return would be implemented, unless the mother wished to appeal on a point of law, in which case the court would appraise the strength or otherwise of the grounds of appeal. 

European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)

ECrtHR - Violation of Article 8 ECHR, award of damages

1 child wrongfully retained at age 2 – Married parents – Father national of Poland – Mother national of Poland – Parental responsibility was exercised jointly by both parents – Child lived in the United Kingdom  – Application for return filed with the Central Authority of the United Kingdom on 21 September 2012 – Return refused before application to ECtHR on 12 April 2014 – Violation of Art. 8 ECHR – EUR 9,000 awarded in damages – The reasoning of the domestic courts regarding the Art. 13(1)(b) of the 1980 Child Abduction Hague Convention exception in light of Article 8 ECHR was misguided; none of the arguments objectively ruled out the possibility of the mother's return with the child

Rights of Access - Art. 21

Application allowed and new access order issued.

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

Return refused

Abduction of a 13-year-old girl – the child had lived in Nicaragua for ten years under the care of her maternal family – the return request was filed before Nicaraguan courts in April 2019 – return denied – key issues: habitual residence; Article 13(2) – the child’s habitual residence was found to be in Nicaragua as it was where she had developed her center of life, personal and cultural identity, and sense of belonging, stability, and security – the court determined that the child’s statements during the hearing constituted an objection to return according to Art. 13(2) of the Convention.

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.

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.