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Contents

• Commencement
• Amendments and other effects
• SIs made under the Act

Commencement

Section	Commencement Date	Commencement Information
Ss. 1-3	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(a)
Ss. 4-42	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Parts 2 and 3) (Commencement) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 541 of 2019), art. 2
S. 43(a)(i), (ii)	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(b)
S. 43(a)(iii)	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(a)
S. 43(a)(iv) insofar as it inserts the definitions of "Act of 2015" and "donor-conceived child" in s. 2 of the Guardian of Infants Act 1964 (7/1964)	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(a)
S. 43(a)(iv) except insofar as it inserts the definitions of "Act of 2015" and "donor-conceived child" in s. 2 of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (7/1964)	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(b)
S. 43(b), (c)	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(b)
Ss. 44-46	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(b)
S. 47(a)-(b)	2 November 2017	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 474 of 2017), art. 3(a)
S. 47(c) insofar as section 6(4) of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (7/1964), amended by that paragraph, relates to section 6(1A) of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (7/1964)	2 November 2017	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 474 of 2017), art. 3(a)
S. 47(c) except insofar as section 6(4) of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (7/1964), amended by that paragraph, relates to section 6(1A) of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (7/1964)	31 July 2017	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 355 of 2017), art. 3
S. 48	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(b)
S. 49 insofar as it inserts s. 6B in the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (7/1964) and s. 6F of that Act, inserted by that section, relates to s. 6B(3) of that Act	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(a)
S. 49 except insofar as it inserts s. 6B in the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (7/1964) and s. 6F of that Act, inserted by that section, relates to s. 6B(3) of that Act	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(b)
S. 50	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(b)
S. 51 insofar as section 8 of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (7/1964), amended by that section, relates to section 6B of that Act	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(a)
S. 51 except insofar as section 8 of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (7/1964), amended by that section, relates to section 6B of that Act	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(b)
Ss. 52-63	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(b)
Ss. 64, 65	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(b)
S. 66(a), (b)	2 November 2017	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 474 of 2017), art. 3(b)
S. 66(c) insofar as it relates to the insertion of subsection (2)(b) in section 27A of the Succession Act 1965 (27/1965)	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(b)
S. 66(c) except insofar as it relates to the insertion of subsection (2)(b) in section 27A of the Succession Act 1965 (27/1965)	2 November 2017	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 474 of 2017), art. 3(b)
S. 67	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(b)
S. 68	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016). art. 3(c)
S. 69	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(b)
S. 70	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(c)
S. 71	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(d)
S. 72(a)	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(c)
S. 72(b)	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(d)
Ss. 73, 74	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(d)
S. 75	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(c)
S. 76	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(d)
S. 77	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(c)
S. 78	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(d)
S. 79 insofar as it inserts the definitions of "Act of 2015", "donor-conceived child", "parent" and "second parent" into the Status of Children Act 1987 (26/1987), s. 33	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(d)
S. 79 except insofar as it inserts the definitions of "Act of 2015", "donor-conceived child", "parent" and "second parent" into the Status of Children Act 1987 (26/1987), s. 33	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(e)
S. 80 insofar as ss. 35(1)(b), (1A), (1B) and (8) of the Status of Children Act 1987 (26/1987) amended by that section relate to a "second parent"	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(d)
S. 80 except insofar as ss. 35(1)(b), (1A), (1B) and (8) of the Status of Children Act 1987 (26/1987) amended by that section relate to a "second parent"	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(e)
S. 81 insofar as it inserts the definitions of "Act of 2015", "DAHR procedure", "donor-conceived child" and "parent" into the Status of Children Act 1987 (26/1987), s. 37	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(d)
S. 81 except insofar as it inserts the definitions of "Act of 2015", "DAHR procedure", "donor-conceived child" and "parent" into the Status of Children Act 1987 (26/1987), s. 37	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(e)
Ss. 82-88	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(e)
Ss. 89-91	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(f)
Ss. 92-99	6 October 2019	Commenced as per s. 1(7), as amended by the Civil Registration Act 2019 (13/2019), s. 12
S. 100	1 July 2015	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Part 10) (Commencement) Order 2015 (S.I. No. 263 of 2015), art. 2
Ss. 101-134		Not yet commenced. Commencement order required under s. 1(9)
S. 135 insofar as paragraph (a) of the definition of "dependent child of the civil partners", inserted by that section in section 2 of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 (24/2010), relates to a dependent child adopted by both civil partners under the Adoption Act 2010 (21/2010)	2 November 2017	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 474 of 2017), art. 3(c)
S. 135 except insofar as paragraph (a) of the definition of "dependent child of the civil partners" inserted by that section in s. 2 of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 (24/2010) relates to a dependent child of both civil partners or adopted by both civil partners under the Adoption Act 2010 (21/2010)	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(g)
Ss. 136-150	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(h)
S. 151 except insofar as subs. (2), inserted by that section, in Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 (24/2010), s. 113, relates to Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (7/1964), s. 6B	2 November 2017	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 474 of 2017), art. 3(d)
Ss. 151 insofar as subs. (2), inserted by that section, in Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 (24/2010), s. 113, relates to Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (7/1964), s. 6B	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(e)
Ss. 152-172	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(i)
Ss. 173-175	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(j)
S. 176	4 May 2020	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2019 (S.I. No. 624 of 2019), art. 2(f)
S. 177		Not yet commenced. Commencement order required under s. 1(5)
Ss. 178-180	18 January 2016	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 12 of 2016), art. 3(j)

Amendments and other effects

How Affected	Affecting Provision
Act included in definition of family law proceedings	Mediation Act 2017 (27/2017), ss. 1(2), 2
Collectively cited Child Care Acts excluded from application of	Mediation Act 2017 (27/2017), ss. 1(2), 3(1)(i)
S. 1(7) substituted	Civil Registration Act 2019 (13/2019), s. 12
S. 4 amended	Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020 (16/2020), ss. 1(2), 188(a)
S. 4(a)(ii) amended	Children and Family Relationships (Amendment) Act 2018 (20/2018), ss. 2, 5(2)
S. 5(1)(b) amended	Marriage Act 2015 (No. 35 of 2015), ss. 1(2), 23(a)
S. 5(8)(a) amended	Marriage Act 2015 (No. 35 of 2015), ss. 1(2), 23(a)
S. 5(8)(b) amended	Marriage Act 2015 (No. 35 of 2015), ss. 1(2), 23(a)
S. 9(3)(d) amended	Marriage Act 2015 (No. 35 of 2015), ss. 1(2), 23(b)
S. 11(1) amended	Marriage Act 2015 (No. 35 of 2015), ss. 1(2), 23(c)
S. 11(3)(a) amended	Marriage Act 2015 (No. 35 of 2015), ss. 1(2), 23(c)
S. 14(7) amended	Children and Family Relationships (Amendment) Act 2018 (20/2018), ss. 3, 5(2)
S. 16(7) amended	Children and Family Relationships (Amendment) Act 2018 (20/2018), ss. 4, 5(2)
S. 19(3)(b), (c) deleted	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(a)
S. 19(3)(b)-(d) inserted	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(a)
S. 20(1)(b) substituted	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(b)(i)(I)
S. 20(1)(d) substituted	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(b)(i)(II)
S. 20(1)(e) amended	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(b)(i)(III)
S. 20(1)(f) amended	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(b)(i)(iv)
S. 20(1)(i) amended	Family Courts Act 2024 (48/2024), ss. 1(2), 89(a)
S. 20(1)(g)-(i) inserted	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(b)(i)(V)
S. 20(2) amended	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(b)(ii)
S. 21(1) amended	Family Courts Act 2024 (48/2024), ss. 1(2), 89(b)
S. 21(4A) inserted	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(c)
S. 22(1) amended	Family Courts Act 2024 (48/2024), ss. 1(2), 89(c)(i)
S. 22(5A) inserted	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(d)
S. 22(6) amended	Family Courts Act 2024 (48/2024), ss. 1(2), 89(c)(ii)
S. 22(7) amended	Family Courts Act 2024 (48/2024), ss. 1(2), 89(c)(iii)
S. 25(1)(b) amended	Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020 (16/2020), ss. 1(2), 188(b)
S. 25(3)(b)(ii) amended	Marriage Act 2015 (No. 35 of 2015), ss. 1(2), 23(d)
S. 26(5)(a) amended	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(e)(i)
S. 26(6)(b) amended	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(e)(ii)
S. 27(5) form of certification prescribed for the purposes of	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Certification) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 546 of 2019), regs. 1(2), 3, schedule
S.27(5)(c)(i) substituted	Civil Registration Act 2019 (13/2019), ss. 13, 14(4)
S. 27(5)(e) amended	Marriage Act 2015 (No. 35 of 2015), ss. 1(2), 23(e)
S. 34(1) amended	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(f)(i), (ii)
S. 35(1) amended	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(g)(i)
S. 35(1A) inserted	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(g)(ii)
S. 35(2)-(6) deleted	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(g)(iii)
S. 35(5) amended	Family Courts Act 2024 (48/2024), ss. 1(2), 89(d)
S. 36(1) amended	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(h)(i)
S. 36(2) amended	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(h)(ii)
S. 37(1) amended	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(i)(i)
S. 37(2) amended	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(i)(ii)
S. 38(1) amended	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(j)(i)
S. 38(2) deleted	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 232(j)(ii)
S. 40(1) amended	Family Courts Act 2024 (48/2024), ss. 1(2), 89(e)(i)(I)
S. 40(1)(a) amended	Family Courts Act 2024 (48/2024), ss. 1(2), 89(e)(i)(II)
S. 40(2) amended	Family Courts Act 2024 (48/2024), ss. 1(2), 89(e)(ii)(I), (II)
S. 41 form of declaration under s. 6(1)(c) prescribed for the purposes of	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Consent to Use Declaration) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 544 of 2019), regs. 1(2), 3(a), schedule 1
S. 41 form of declaration under s. 9(1)(c) prescribed for the purposes of	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Consent to Parentage Declaration) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 545 of 2019), regs. 1(2), 3(a), schedule, pt. 1
S. 41 form of declaration under s. 11(1)(d) prescribed for the purposes of	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Consent to Parentage Declaration) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 545 of 2019), regs. 1(2), 3(b), schedule, pt. 2
S. 41 form of declaration under s. 14(5)(b) prescribed for the purposes of	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Consent to Use Declaration) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 544 of 2019), regs. 1(2), 3(b), schedule 2
S. 41 form of declaration under s. 16(5)(b) prescribed for the purposes of	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Consent to Use Declaration) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 544 of 2019), regs. 1(2), 3(c), schedule 3
S. 41A inserted	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 233
S. 42A inserted	Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 (18/2024), ss. 1(4), 234
Ss. 101-134 deleted	Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017, s. 2(2)
S. 177 repealed	Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021 (4/2021), ss. 1(2), 3

SIs made under the Act

Section	SIs made under the Act
S. 21	District Court (Donor-Assisted Human Reproduction) Rules 2020 (S.I. No. 434 of 2020)
	District Court (Children and Family Relationships Act 2015) Rules 2016 (S.I. No. 17 of 2016)
S. 41	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Certification) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 546 of 2019)
	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Consent to Parentage Declaration) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 545 of 2019)
	Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (Consent to Use Declaration) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 544 of 2019)