Children (Jersey) Law 2002: Amendment: Law drafting instructions

Information about the publication of Ministerial Decisions

A formal published “Ministerial Decision” is required as a record of the decision of a Minister (or an Assistant Minister where they have delegated authority) as they exercise their responsibilities and powers.

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demonstrating that good governance, and clear lines of accountability and authority, are in place around decisions-making – including the reasons and basis on which a decision is made, and the action required to implement a decision
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A decision made 16 March 2016:

Decision Reference: MD- HSS-2016-0021
Decision Summary Title :	Law drafting instructions: amendments to Children (Jersey) Law 2002 to confer parental responsibility on unmarried fathers,		Date of Decision Summary:	14 March 2016
Decision Summary Author:	Director, Social Policy		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	n/a
Written Report Title :	Law drafting instructions: amendments to Children (Jersey) Law 2002 to confer parental responsibility on unmarried fathers,		Date of Written Report:	14 March 2016
Written Report Author:	Director, Social Policy		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Subject: Law drafting instructions: amendments to Children (Jersey) Law 2002 to confer parental responsibility on unmarried fathers,
Decision(s): The Minister for Health and Social Services decided to ask the Law Draftsman to prepare amendments to the Children (Jersey) Law 2002 on the basis of instructions to be provided by the Department so that parental responsibility is automatically conferred on unmarried fathers.
Reason(s) for Decision: In September 2015 the States Assembly agreed in principle that “legislation should be amended to automatically confer parental responsibility on unmarried fathers who are named on birth certificates” (P.77/2015). These Law Drafting instructions provide for those changes to be brought forward. P77/2015 also set out the need to consider providing for (i) same-sex couples who are married or in a civil partnership to automatically be conferred parental responsibility; and (ii) for unmarried same-sex couples to be conferred parental responsibility in certain circumstances. Further instructions, allowing for these changes, will be brought forward in the first quarter of 2017.
Resource Implications: There will be no financial or resource implications associated with this change.
Action required: Instructions to be forwarded to the Law Draftsman.
Signature:		Position: Minister for Health and Social Services
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):