Legislation – Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022
Changes to legislation:
Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, Section 56 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 02 April 2026. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
Changes to Legislation
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 56:
- Act applied (with modifications) by S.I. 2018/412, Sch. 3 (as substituted) by 2022 c. 18 (N.I.) Sch. 3 para. 83
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
- Act applied (with modifications) by S.I. 2018/412, Sch. 3 (as substituted) by 2022 c. 18 (N.I.) Sch. 3 para. 83
PART 1Adoption
CHAPTER 3Placement for adoption and adoption orders
Disclosure of information about a person’s adoption
Restrictions on disclosure of protected etc. information56
(1)
Any section 55 information kept by an adoption agency which—
(a)
is about an adopted person or any other person; and
(b)
is or includes identifying information about the person in question,
may only be disclosed by the agency to a person (other than the person the information is about) in pursuance of this group of sections.
(2)
Any information kept by an adoption agency—
(a)
which the agency has obtained from the Registrar General on an application under section 78(5) and any other information which would enable the adopted person to obtain a certified copy of the record of the adopted person’s birth; or
(b)
which is information about an entry relating to the adopted person in the Adoption Contact Register,
may only be disclosed to a person by the agency in pursuance of this group of sections.
(3)
In this group of sections, information the disclosure of which to a person is restricted by virtue of subsection (1) or (2) is referred to (in relation to the person) as protected information.
(4)
Identifying information about a person means information which, whether taken on its own or together with other information disclosed by an adoption agency, identifies the person or enables the person to be identified.
(5)
This section does not prevent the disclosure of protected information in pursuance of a prescribed agreement to which the adoption agency is a party.
(6)
Regulations may authorise or require an adoption agency to disclose protected information to a person who is not an adopted person.