Divorce Act — D-3.4 31
arty better placed to assess child’s best interests 30.8 For the purposes of Articles 8 and 9 of the 1996 Convention, a court in the province in which a child is habitually resident that would otherwise have jurisdiction under any of sections 3 to 6 of this Act, or that has jurisdiction under section 30.6 of this Act, may decline to exercise jurisdiction to make, in respect of the child, a parenting order, a contact order or a variation order in respect of such an order if the conditions of Article 8 or 9, as the case may be, are fulfilled and there is agreement between the court and the competent authority of a State Party that the latter will have jurisdiction. Canadian court better placed to assess child’s best interests 30.9 For the purposes of Articles 8 and 9 of the 1996 Convention, only the court in a province that would otherwise have jurisdiction under any of sections 3 to 5 of this Act may exercise jurisdiction to make a parenting order, a contact order or a variation order in respect of such orders if the conditions of Article 8 or 9, as the case may be, are fulfilled and there is agreement between the competent authority of a State Party and the court that the latter will have jurisdiction. Urgency Urgent cases 31 For the purposes of Article 11 of the 1996 Convention, a court in a province that does not have jurisdiction under sections 30.4 to 30.9 of this Act but that would otherwise have jurisdiction under any of sections 3 to 5 of this Act, may, in urgent cases, make a parenting order, a contact order or a variation order in respect of either such order if the child who would be the subject of the order is present in that province. Recognition Recognition by operation of law 31.1 (1) For the purposes of Article 23 of the 1996 Convention, a measure taken by a competent authority of a State Party is a measure that has the effect of varying, rescinding or suspending a parenting order or contact order. Measure taken deemed to be variation order (2) A measure taken by a competent authority of a State Party that is recognized by operation of law under Article 23(1) of the 1996 Convention is deemed to be an order made under section 17 of this Act. Extent of validity (3) Despite subsection 20(2), the measure referred to in subsection (2) is valid only in any province to which the 1996 Convention applies. Jurisdiction respecting recognition 31.2 (1) For the purposes of Article 24 of the 1996 Convention and on application by an interested person, a court in a province has jurisdiction to decide on the recognition of a measure referred to in section 31.1 of this Act if there is a sufficient connection between the matter and the province. Effect of recognition (2) The court’s decision recognizing the measure is deemed to be an order made under section 17 and has legal effect throughout Canada. Effect of non-recognition (3) The court’s decision refusing to recognize the measure has legal effect throughout Canada. Enforcement 31.3 For the purposes of Article 26 of the 1996 Convention, a measure taken by a competent authority of a State Party that is enforceable in that State Party and that is to be enforced in a province may, on application by an interested person, (a) be declared to be enforceable by a court in the province and enforced in that province as an order of that court; or (b) be registered for the purposes of enforcement in the court in that province and enforced in that province as an order of that court.