Offences under the Adoption Act

There are a number of offences under the Adoption Act 1955. If a court believes an offence has been committed, it can order that the child be returned to their parent or guardian or for other arrangements to be made.

The main offences under the Adoption Act 1955 are:

  • Giving or receiving payment for an adoption or for arranging an adoption, unless the court allows it. Payments can be made to the birth mother for some hospital and medical expenses.

    If a person is convicted of paying for a child for adoption, they can be imprisoned for up to 3 months or fined up to $15,000 or both.
  • Pressuring a person to agree to give their child up for adoption when they don’t want to. This is legally called inducing a person to consent.

    If a person is convicted of inducing a person to consent to an adoption, they can be imprisoned for up to 7 years.

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