{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-proceedings-rules-northern-ireland-1996/rule-4.37",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-proceedings-rules-northern-ireland-1996/rule-4.37.json",
  "legislation": "nisr/1996/322",
  "legislation_title": "The Family Proceedings Rules (Northern Ireland) 1996",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/family-proceedings-rules-northern-ireland-1996",
  "path": "rule/4.37",
  "kind": "rule",
  "number": "4.37",
  "heading": "Request for consultation as to contemplated placement of child in Northern Ireland",
  "text": "(1) This rule applies to a request made—\n(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(b) under Article 33 of the 1996 Hague Convention by a court in another Contracting State,\nfor consultation on or consent to the contemplated placement of a child in Northern Ireland.\n(2) Where the court receives a request directly from a court in another ... Contracting State, the court must, as soon as practicable after receipt of the request, notify the Central Authority for Northern Ireland of the request and take the appropriate action under paragraph (4).\n(3) Where it appears to the proper officer or chief clerk that no proceedings relating to the child are pending before a court in Northern Ireland, the proper officer or chief clerk, as the case may be, must inform the Central Authority for Northern Ireland of that fact and forward to the Central Authority all documents relating to the request sent by the court in the other ... Contracting State.\n(4) Where the court receives a request forwarded by the Central Authority for Northern Ireland, the court must, as soon as practicable after receipt of the request, either—\n(a) where proceedings relating to the child are pending before the court, fix a directions hearing; or\n(b) where proceedings relating to the child are pending before another court in Northern Ireland send a copy of the request to that court and notify the Central Authority for Northern Ireland of this action.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Rules 4.28-4.39 substituted for rule 4.28 (25.3.2011 for specified purposes, 1.11.2012 in so far as not already in operation) by The Family Proceedings (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2011 (S.R. 2011/64), rules 1, 2(4), Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Rule 4.37(1)(a) and word omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Family Proceedings (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2019 (S.R. 2019/235), rules 1(1), 2(13)(a) (with rule 3); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in rule 4.37(2) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Family Proceedings (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2019 (S.R. 2019/235), rules 1(1), 2(13)(b) (with rule 3); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in rule 4.37(3) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Family Proceedings (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2019 (S.R. 2019/235), rules 1(1), 2(13)(b) (with rule 3); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/1996/322/rule/4.37",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T02:34:45.513001+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."
}