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The Politics of Adoption

International Perspectives on Law, Policy and Practice

  • Traces the evolution of adoption law, policy, and practice across many centuries and various nations, focusing on conceptual and definitional matters
  • Provides a comparative evaluation of adoption in different cultural contexts from the highly regulated legal process of modern Western society to Islamic countries and including the traditional practice of indigenous communities
  • Analyzes the political framework and its capacity to drive change in adoption law and practice

Part of the book series: Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice (IUSGENT, volume 86)

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Table of contents (23 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxxv
  2. Adoption, Society and the Law: The Common Law Context

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. The Changing Face of Adoption

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 41-78
  3. Developing International Benchmarks for Modern Adoption Law

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 79-79
    2. The Legal Functions of Adoption

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 81-107
    3. Intercountry Adoption and the Hague Convention

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 157-214
  4. Contemporary Law, Policy and Practice in a Common Law Context

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 215-216
    2. England and Wales

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 217-288
    3. Ireland

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 289-344
    4. United States of America

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 345-398
    5. Canada

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 399-443
    6. Australia

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 445-493
    7. New Zealand

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 495-538
  5. Contemporary Law, Policy and Practice in a European Civil Law Context

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 539-539
    2. Sweden

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 541-573
    3. France

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 575-614
    4. Germany

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 615-650
    5. Romania

      • Kerry O’Halloran
      Pages 651-685

About this book

This book, which updates and expands the third edition published by Springer in 2015, explains, compares and evaluates the social and legal functions of adoption within a range of selected jurisdictions and on an international basis. From the standpoint of the development of adoption in England & Wales, and the changes currently taking place there, it considers the process as it has evolved in other countries. It also identifies themes of commonality and difference in the experience of adoption in a common law context, comparing and contrasting this with the experience under civil law and in Islamic countries and with that of indigenous people. This book includes new chapters examining adoption in Russia, Korea and Romania. Further, it uses the international conventions and the associated ECtHR case law to benchmark developments in national law, policy and practice and to facilitate a cross-cultural comparative analysis. 


Authors and Affiliations

  • White Park Bay, UK

    Kerry O’Halloran

About the author

Kerry O’Halloran is Qualified Social Worker and Lawyer and has worked for a number of years as Assistant Director (Research) at a UK university. Until very recently he was Adjunct Professor at the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies, QUT, in Brisbane. Author of 30 books, he has served on a UK Adoption Panel for 11 years and has made a quarterly contribution to the Adoption and Fostering journal for the past 19 years.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access