Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/21pdf/20-1034_b8dg.pdf
Page Number: 1.0

(Slip Opinion) 

OCTOBER  TERM,  2021 

1 

Syllabus 

NOTE:  Where  it  is  feasible,  a  syllabus  (headnote)  will  be  released,  as  is 
being  done  in  connection  with  this  case,  at  the  time  the  opinion  is  issued. 
The  syllabus  constitutes  no  part  of  the  opinion  of  the  Court  but  has  been 
prepared  by  the  Reporter  of  Decisions  for  the  convenience  of  the  reader. 
See United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co., 200 U. S. 321, 337. 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

Syllabus 

GOLAN v. SAADA 

CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR 
THE SECOND CIRCUIT 

No. 20–1034.  Argued March 22, 2022—Decided June 15, 2022 

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Ab-
duction requires the judicial or administrative authority of a Contract-
ing State to order a child returned to the child’s country of habitual
residence if the authority finds that the child has been wrongfully re-
moved to or retained in the Contracting State.  The authority “is not
bound to order the return of the child,” however, if the authority finds
that return would expose the child to a “grave risk” of “physical or psy-
chological  harm  or  otherwise  place  the  child  in  an  intolerable  situa-
tion.”  The International Child Abduction Remedies Act (ICARA) im-
plements  the  Convention  in  the  United  States,  granting  federal  and 
state courts jurisdiction over Convention actions and directing those 
courts to decide cases in accordance with the Convention. 

Petitioner Narkis Golan, a United States citizen, married respond-
ent  Isacco  Saada,  an  Italian  citizen,  in  Italy,  where  they  had  a  son, 
B. A. S., in 2016.  In 2018, Golan flew with B. A. S. to the United States 
to attend a wedding and, instead of returning to Italy, moved into a 
domestic violence shelter with B. A. S.  Saada thereafter timely filed a
petition with the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of New 
York,  seeking  an  order  returning  B. A. S.  to  Italy  pursuant  to  the 
Hague Convention.  The District Court concluded that B. A. S. would 
face a grave risk of harm if returned to Italy, given evidence that Saada 
had abused Golan and that being exposed to this abuse harmfully af-
fected B. A. S.  The court, however, ordered B. A. S.’ return to Italy, ap-
plying  Second  Circuit  precedent  obligating  it  to  “examine  the  full
range of options that might make possible the safe return of a child” 
and  concluding  that  ameliorative  measures  could  reduce  the  risk  to 
B. A. S. sufficiently to require his return.  The Second Circuit vacated 
the  return  order,  finding  the  District  Court’s  ameliorative  measures