### Adoption Rules 《領養規則》

17. Appearance to show cause why order should not be made
(1) On the hearing of the application any person on whom notice is required to be served under rule 16 may appear before the District Judge to show cause why an adoption order should not be made. The Director may be represented by any public officer duly authorized in that behalf by the Director. (G.N.A. 76 of 1960; L.N. 337 of 1982)
(2) If—
(a) any person whose consent is required under section 5(5)(a) of the Ordinance fails to give consent; or
(b) any person having a proper interest in the application objects to an adoption order being made,
the District Court shall transfer the application to the Court of First Instance. (L.N. 337 of 1982)
(3) Any application transferred to the Court of First Instance under paragraph (2) may be retransferred to the District Court at any stage if the Court of First Instance considers that the provisions of section 4A of the Ordinance do not or no longer require it to be continued in the Court of First Instance. (L.N. 337 of 1982)
(25 of 1998 s. 2)

18. Conduct of proceedings
Unless the Court is satisfied that the applicant does not desire his identity to be kept confidential, the proceedings shall be conducted with a view to securing that he is not seen by or made known to any person (other than the spouse of the applicant) whose consent to the order is required.

19. Form of order
Unless the Court otherwise orders, an adoption order shall be drawn up in Form 7, and an interim order in Form 8.
(G.N.A. 36 of 1958)

20. Copy of the order to be sent to Registrar of Births and Deaths and applicant
On the making of an adoption order, the Registrar of the High Court or the District Court shall send a sealed copy of the order to the Registrar of Births and Deaths and to the applicant within 7 days after the order has been passed and entered.
(L.N. 337 of 1982; 25 of 1998 s. 2)

21. Copy of order not to be given to other persons
No duplicate or copy of an adoption order or interim order shall be given to or served upon any person other than the Registrar of Births and Deaths or the applicant except by order of the judge.

### Adoption Rules 《領養規則》

22. Notification by guardian ad litem of making or refusal of order
Where an adoption order is made or refused or an interim order made, the guardian ad litem shall notify all parties who were not present when the order was made or refused, without disclosing the identity of the applicant unless he does not desire his identity to be kept confidential.

23. Application for further hearing by applicant
Where the determination of an application is postponed and an interim order made the applicant shall, at least 2 months before the expiration of the period specified in the interim order, obtain an appointment for the further hearing of the application, and the guardian ad litem shall serve a notice in Form 9 on every person on whom notice is required to be served under rule 16.

24. Application for further hearing by guardian ad litem
If no appointment is obtained by the applicant as required by rule 23, the guardian ad litem shall obtain an appointment as soon as practicable for the further hearing of the application.

25. Amendment of adoption orders, and revocation of directions ex parte
An application for an order under section 20(1) of the Ordinance for the amendment of an adoption order or the revocation of a direction for the marking of an entry in the registers of births or the Adopted Children Register may be made ex parte in the first instance in the Court, but the Court may require notice of that application to be served on such persons as it thinks fit.
(L.N. 228 of 1977)

26. Notice of amendment to be sent to Registrar of Births and Deaths
Where an order for the amendment of an adoption order or the revocation of a direction for the marking of an entry in the registers of births or the Adopted Children Register is made under section 20(1) of the Ordinance, the Registrar of the High Court or the District Court shall send to the Registrar of Births and Deaths a notice specifying the date of the adoption order and the names of the adopter and of the adopted person (as described in the schedule to the adoption order) and stating what amendments are to be made in the particulars specified in that order.
(L.N. 228 of 1977; L.N. 337 of 1982; 25 of 1998 s. 2)

27. Delegation of powers and duties
Where the Director is acting under these rules as guardian ad litem, anything required or authorized by these rules to be done by the guardian ad litem may be done by any public officer duly authorized in that behalf by the Director.
(G.N.A. 76 of 1960)

### Adoption Rules 《領養規則》

28. Service of documents
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a document required to be served under these rules may be served—
(a) in the case of an individual—
(i) by delivering it to the individual personally;
(ii) by leaving it with some person for the individual at the individual’s last known address or usual place of abode; or
(iii) by sending it to the individual by registered post addressed to the individual at the individual’s last known address or usual place of abode;
(b) in the case of the Director—
(i) by delivering it to him at his principal office; or
(ii) by sending it to him by registered post addressed to him at his principal office;
(c) in the case of a body of persons—
(i) by delivering it to that body at that body’s registered or principal office; or
(ii) by sending it to that body by registered post addressed to that body at that body’s registered or principal office.
(2) Where a document is to be served on—
(a) an individual whose last known address or usual place of abode is in a place outside Hong Kong; or
(b) a body of persons whose registered or principal office is in a place outside Hong Kong,
the document must be served in accordance with the law of that place.
(L.N. 230 of 2005)

29. Persons who may attest documents and declarations outside Hong Kong
For the purposes of section 7(2) of the Ordinance, a document or declaration executed or made by any person outside Hong Kong shall be sufficiently attested if it is attested as follows— (66 of 1999 s. 3)
(a)-(b) (Repealed 28 of 2004 s. 35)(c) if the document or declaration is executed or made at a place outside Hong Kong— (L.N. 230 of 2005)
(i)-(ii) (Repealed 28 of 2004 s. 35)(iii) by any person for the time being authorized by law in that place to administer an oath for any judicial or other legal purpose. (L.N. 45 of 1973; 28 of 2004 s. 35; 2 of 2012 s. 3)
(d) (Repealed 2 of 2012 s. 3)

30. Making and notice of application
An application under section 6(4) of the Ordinance for leave to remove the infant from the care and possession of the applicant shall be made to the judge, and notice thereof shall be served on the guardian ad litem.