# Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, Section 98: Restriction on reports

Extent: N.I.
Status: prospective

(1) A person who is not within a prescribed description may not, in any prescribed circumstances, prepare a report for any person about the suitability of a child for adoption or of a person to adopt a child or about the adoption, or placement for adoption, of a child.
(2) If a person (“P”)—
(a) contravenes subsection (1); or
(b) causes a person to prepare a report, or submits to any person a report which has been prepared, in contravention of that subsection,
P is guilty of an offence.
(3) If a person who works for an appropriate voluntary organisation—
(a) contravenes subsection (1); or
(b) causes a person to prepare a report, or submits to any person a report which has been prepared, in contravention of that subsection,
the person who manages the appropriate voluntary organisation is also guilty of the offence.
(4) A person (“P”) is not guilty of an offence under subsection (2)(b) unless it is proved that P knew or had reason to suspect that the report would be, or had been, prepared in contravention of subsection (1); but this subsection only applies if sufficient evidence is adduced to raise an issue as to whether P had the knowledge or reason mentioned.
(5) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or both.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2022/18/section/98 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/adoption-and-children-act-northern-ireland-2022/section-98
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.