Legislation
Adoption Law Reform: Learn more about law reform at Adoption Action Inc
Since the Adoption Act 1955 was passed there have been numerous changes to child care and protection law in Aotearoa New Zealand, including the Adoption Information Act 1985, The Care of Children’s Act 2004, the Human Reproductive Technology Act 2004, and the Children’s Act 2014.
There has also been many attempts by lobby groups, academics, MPs and others to reform and update adoption lawin Aotearoa New Zealand to ensure the laws are consistent with Aotearoa New Zealand’s obligations under international child protection treaties and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and to ensure legislation relating to children is consistent. These attempts to update adoption law have not been successful to date.
Adoption legislation in Aotearoa New Zealand
Adoption Amendment Act 2025 gained Royal Assent after being passed under urgency on 16 September 2025. The Act is an interim measure suspending international adoptions recognised under section 17 of the Adoption Act 1955. The suspension is in place until July 2027, during which time the Government intends to develop long-term solutions to Section 17 of the Adoption Act 1955, which has been used to traffic children into Aotearoa New Zealand.
Adoption (Intercountry) Act 1997 implements New Zealand’s obligations under the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (1993). Its main goal is to ensure that intercountry adoptions are carried out in the best interests of the child, with safeguards against child trafficking and exploitation.
Adult Adoption Information Act 1985 - This is the Act that enables people lost to adoption to request information about their lost ones. It goes some way to assisting people find their lost ones, but it does not provide the openness to records that will enable all people lost to adoption to find the person or people they have lost.
Adoption Act 1955 - This is currently the legislation used for all adoptions in Aotearoa New Zealand. There is much wrong with this Act. You can find documents here that highlight the main concerns Adoption Action Inc has about this outdated legislation.
Adoption Action Inc took a case to the Human Rights Tribunal about the discriminatory provisions in the Adoption Act and the Adult Adoption Information Act. The claim was submitted in 2013.
On 7 March 2016, the Human Rights Tribunal declared seven provisions inconsistent with the right to freedom from discrimination affirmed by s 19 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.
The full decision is available here Adoption Action Inc v Attorney-General [2016] NZHRRT
The Human Rights Commission submission is available here.
Other legislation relating to the care of children includes:
The Families Commission was disestablished by the Families Commission Act Repeal Act 2018. The Commission had an important role in advocating for children and responding to issues such as adoption and surrogacy. The Act was repealed on 30 June 2019.
The District Courts of New Zealand have complied a list with links to the Acts that are commonly dealt with by the Family Courts. The District Court notes that the list is intended as a guide only and is not an exhaustive list.