Victorian Government announces family law review for same-sex couples adoption equality

Victorian Government announces family law review for same-sex couples adoption equality

SAME-sex couples in Victoria who want to adopt children are now one step closer to having their dreams realised with the Victorian Government today announcing a review of family laws that could legislate for equality.

As part of the review process, the government has invited public submissions to permit adoption of children by same-sex couples under Victorian law.

Equality Minister Martin Foley said same-sex couples and their families find themselves unrecognised by the current adoption laws.

“Our review will tell us the best ways to legislate for adoption equality, to make sure we get it right,” he told reporters at a media doorstop in St Kilda this morning.

“It (the law change) will affect hundreds, if not thousands of children in Victoria whose legal ties with their guardians are severed when they turn 18.”

Foley said the review would examine how best to legislate for adoption equality, not whether the law changes should happen.

The review is to report to the minister by May 8.

Same-sex adoption was one of the key LGBTI policies the current Labor Government plugged during its election campaign in the lead-up to the November poll last year.

During Pride March Victoria in Melbourne earlier this month, Premier Daniel Andrews would not provide indication of when Victoria was likely to see legislation on adoption equality, but shifted focus to the potential battle the government faced in getting a bill through the upper house.

“We’re taking our time to get it right, but they will be introduced, and I hope that every single member of the Victorian Parliament recognises that we’re in 2015, not 1815, and votes with the government to deliver that adoption equality,” he said at the time.

NSW, Western Australia, Tasmania and the ACT already have adoption equality law.

To make a submission to the review to permit adoption by same-sex couples under Victorian law, click here.

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8 responses to “Victorian Government announces family law review for same-sex couples adoption equality”

  1. Refusal to allow same sex adoption violates rights upon the law, as according to S60C of the Family Law Act (1975), the best interests of the child is the only criteria that needs to be employed, not the sexual orientation of the parent. To ensure the effectiveness of the court is upheld, reforms to the law to allow same-sex couples to adopt should be implemented, taking into consideration that the best interests of children are met as is done for heterosexual couples :)
    .
    I AM 16 YEARS OLD PEOPLE COME ON A TEENAGER IS MORE AWARE OF STAKEHOLDER’S RIGHTS THAN YOU!

  2. If you put this to a vote many more people would be against than for … I know that for a fact , because Children are involved and will pay the price for this mentally warped social experiment. Another situation of minority’s rules another reason for straight people to turn nasty against gays.

  3. Victoria Labor (now in Government power) also promised to:

    * Repeal the HIV (Section 19A) clause in the VIC Crimes Act 1958 – NOT DONE YET;
    * Allow adoption equality within the Adoption Act 1984 – NOT DONE YET;
    * Amend the Relationships Act 2007 to recognise overseas and interstate same sex unions and to allow just one resident of VIC to register there relationship with someone – NOT DONE YET;
    * Birth Certificate equality for Trans* and Intersex people – NOT DONE YET; and
    * To stop forcing trans* and intersex people to divorce their spouse, when they change there gender on there certificates and other legal documents – NOT DONE YET

    They have just 3 years to go to get these 5 policy areas completed by November 2018 (the next VIC Election)!