{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/adoption-and-children-act-2002/section-40",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/adoption-and-children-act-2002/section-40.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2002/38",
  "legislation_title": "Adoption and Children Act 2002",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/adoption-and-children-act-2002",
  "path": "section/40",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "40",
  "heading": "Other non-agency cases",
  "text": "(1) In any case where sections 37 to 39 do not apply but—\n(a) the people concerned have given notice of intention to adopt, or\n(b) the people concerned have applied for leave under section 42(6) and the application has not been disposed of,\nthe following persons may remove the child.\n(2) They are—\n(a) a person who has the court’s leave,\n(b) a local authority or other person in the exercise of a power conferred by any enactment, other than section 20(8) of the 1989 Act or section 76(5) of the 2014 Act.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 40(2)(b) inserted (6.4.2016) by The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/413), regs. 2(1), 196"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Ss. 36-40 excluded (30.12.2005) by The Adoptions with a Foreign Element Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/392), regs. 1(1), 54(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 40 in force at 30.12.2005 by S.I. 2005/2213, art. 2(c) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2005/2897, arts. 3-16)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/38/section/40",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:18:55.944329+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}