Hague Child Abduction Convention: Australian court does not accept that the return of an Australian First Nations child to Belgium would place the child in an intolerable situation, notwithstanding her Aboriginality would not be taken into account by the courts in Belgium in the same way as it would in Australia.

Hague Child Abduction Convention: Australian court declines to find that an infant child did not have a place of habitual residence notwithstanding ambiguity in the intentions of her parents.

Full Court declines to vary final parenting orders where no relevant change of circumstance established by the father. The same standard applies irrespective of whether the variation sought to the orders is of a major or minor nature.

Court declines to order the return of the child to the UK after finding that the father consented to the child’s removal.

The Court has the power to order that children be vaccinated, irrespective of parental consent.
Note: Updated on 14 September 2021

International border restrictions and COVID-19 response results in successful relocation case being remitted for rehearing.