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​​The case concerned two children, one born on 23 June 1998 and one on 2 March 2005. In 2008,  Belgium court which ratified the parents’ agreement, declared both parents had parental responsibility over the children. The court gave the mother primary custody and granted access rights to the father. In March 2010, the mother moved to France with the children, respectively aged 11 and 5. The father filed a return application under the 1980 Convention. The public prosecutor (procureur de la République) brought proceedings against the mother before the District Family Court (juge aux affaires familiales du tribunal de grande instance) of Lille. At the hearing, the public prosecutor considered that it was no longer appropriate to seek the return of the children. The Court ruled that, in light of the revoked request for return, there was no longer a basis upon which to issue a ruling.  

​The Court of Appeal (cour d’appel) of Douai, on 22 March 2012, upheld this decision. The father appealed the decision before the Supreme Court (Cour de Cassation). ​ 

​​Appeal dismissed. The Supreme Court noted that one of the children was now 16 years old, so the 1980 Convention was no longer applicable to him, and that, overall, there was no longer a basis upon which to issue a ruling, particularly in light of the public prosecutor revoking the return request.  ​ 

Procedural Matters

​​Age of the child – Article 4 

​The Supreme Court noted that the older child was now 16 years old, so the 1980 Convention did not apply to him anymore. The request of the father regarding this child had become moot.     

​Procedural matters  

​It was noted by the First Instance Court, and confirmed on appeal, that there was no longer a basis upon which to issue a ruling particularly in light of the revocation of the return request by the public prosecutor. The Supreme Court therefore dismissed the father’s claims and upheld the appeal decision.  ​ 

Author: Camille Druilhet