# The Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987, Article 25: Restrictions on making adoption orders


(1) The court shall not proceed to hear an application for an adoption order in relation to a child where a previous application for a British adoption order made in relation to the child by the same persons was refused by any court unless—
(a) in refusing the previous application the court directed that this paragraph should not apply, or
(b) it appears to the court that because of a change in circumstances or for any other reason it is proper to proceed with the application.
(2) The court shall not make an adoption order in relation to a child unless it is satisfied that the applicants have not, as respects the child, contravened Article 59.
(3) In this Article “British adoption order” means—
(a) an adoption order or an order under the Adoption Act (Northern Ireland) 1967; or
(b) an order under any provision for the adoption of a child effected under the law of any of the following countries, that is to say, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and a colony, which is a British territory for the purposes of section 24 of the Adoption Act 1976.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1987/2203/article/25 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/adoption-northern-ireland-order-1987/article-25
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.