According to the Supreme Court docket sheet for Abbott v.
Child Support Update
This press release from the Hague Conference reports the conclusion of the Special Commission convened to consider measures to promote and implement the 2007 Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other forms of Family Maintenance. The Special Commission “endorsed a number of practical tools to assist implementation of the Convention, such as a handbook for case workers, profiles of States parties and the development of an implementation checklist” a
Oral Argument set in Abbott
Abbott v. Abbott has been set for oral argument in the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, January 12, 2010. The petitioner’s merits brief was filed in September and is available on Westlaw, along with a number of amicus briefs (including briefs for the United States and the Hague Conference on Private International Law). Respondent’s brief on the merits is due by November 17, and there are likely to be additional amicus briefs.
Hague Special Commission on Child Support
A Special Commissionon on implementation of the 2007 Hague child support convention will meet in The Hague from November 10 to 17. Items on the agenda include a practical handbook for caseworkers, recommended forms, and a system of country profiles to facilitate cross-border establishment and enforcement of child support orders. The Commission will also consider the feasibility of [...]
Snatchback?
The November issue of Atlantic Monthly: “The Snatchback” by Nadya Labi follows the efforts of a Florida man to re-abduct a 9-year-old boy from Costa Rica after the child was retained there by his biological father. Labi’s long story focuses mostly on the custody dispute and the man hired to carry out the snatching, but she also describes the Hague Abduction Convention and quotes several State Department officials.
Adoption Notices: Kenya and Ethiopia
The State Department periodically issues notices to inform agencies and prospective adoptive parents about on-the-ground developments in particular countries.
State Department ACPIL Meeting
The annual meeting of the State Department’s Advisory Committee on Private International Law (ACPIL), held in Washington D.C. this week, included a panel on international family law issues. The discussion included:
Japan urged to solve global child custody disputes
This Associated Press story, following up on the Savoie case in Japan, is available on the NPR website accompanied by photos showing a meeting on Friday between Japan’s Justice Minister, Keiko Chiba, and the ambassadors from the U.S., Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand, and Spain. The ambassadors renewed their demands that Japan sign the Hague Child Abduction Convention, and Japanese officials said once again that they are considering signing the treaty. Christopher Savoie was
Hague Adoption Convention reaches 81 members
With the recent ratifications or accessions of Greece, Cape Verde, and Togo, there will now be 81 contracting states for the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Here’s the announcement from the Hague Conference web site.
Child Support Treaty in the Senate
The 2007 Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance made it to a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week. Information on the hearing is available here; the text of the treaty and commentary on it are included in Treaty Document 110-21.