In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court has ruled in Abbott v.
EU Ratifies Protocol to Child Support Convention
At the annual Council on General Affairs of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, the European Union signed and ratified the Hague Protocol of 23 November 2007 on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations.
Hague Judicial Network
The International Hague Network of Judges now includes almost fifty members from more than 35 different countries. Four judges in the U.S. are members of thenetwork, including Judge Peter J. Messite of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Justice James Garbolino of the Superior Court of California, Circuit Judge Judith L.
Morocco Joins Child Abduction Convention
On March 9, Morocco deposited its instruments of accession to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The treaty will enter in force in Morocco on June 1, 2010, but its accession will have effect only with respect to other treaty countries that declare their acceptance of this accession. Information from the Hague Conference is here.
Caution re Adoption in Nepal
Recent reports from both the U.S.
Families Across Borders: The Hague Children’s Conventions and the Case for International Family Law in the United States
Here’s the abstract for my article, published in the January 2010 issue of the Florida Law Review, and available here in pdf format:
Hague Family Maintenance Convention Sent to the Senate
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has transmitted the 2007 Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance to the Senate with its recommendation that the Senate give advice and consent to ratification, subject to several reservations and declarations that are permitted by the treaty. Details are included in Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Executive Report 111-2 (January 22, 2010). The Convention would not be self-executing, and the Repo
Hague Conference Statement on Adoption in Haiti
The Hague Conference on Private International Law has sent an Information Note on the Haiti earthquake to states and Central Authorities participating in the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention.
Commentary on the Abbott Oral Arguments
Here’s a sample of media commentary on the oral arguments yesterday in Abbott v. Abbott:
Mark Sherman (Associated Press): “Scalia (yes, Scalia) invokes foreign law in court.”
Dahlia Lithwick (Slate.com): “All in the Family: The Supreme Court plays nice over international child custody.”
Oral Argument in Abbott on January 12
A transcript of the oral argument in the U.S. Supreme Court in Abbott v. Abbott, held on January 12, is available on the Court’s web page later in the day. Here’s a link to the oral argument page; the docket number for the case is 08-645.