Opinion ID: 76527
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: ICARA Petition

Text: 44 On November 4, 2002, Plaintiff Furnes filed a Petition for Return of Child to Petitioner under ICARA in the district court in Atlanta, Georgia. Furnes's ICARA petition alleged that Defendant Reeves wrongfully removed Jessica from Norway in violation of Furnes's joint custody rights and sought her return pursuant to Article 12 of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 3 (the Hague Convention or Convention) and 42 U.S.C. § 11603(b). 45 After an evidentiary hearing, the district court concluded that Defendant Reeves's removal of Jessica from Norway violated Plaintiff Furnes's rights to his daughter under Norwegian law. The district court further found (1) that Plaintiff Furnes was a credible witness, (2) that Furnes had not acquiesced in Defendant Reeves's removal of Jessica from Norway, (3) that Furnes had been unable to locate Reeves and Jessica for many months after the removal, and (4) that his ICARA petition had been timely filed within one year of removal, in accordance with the Hague Convention. 46 The district court, however, concluded that Plaintiff Furnes was exercising mere access rights coupled with a ne exeat right under Norwegian law — not custody rights — over Jessica at the time of removal. On that basis, the district court decided that it was not authorized to order the return of the child pursuant to the Convention and ICARA, and denied the petition. 47 On March 7, 2003, Plaintiff Furnes sought a clarification of his rights from the Bergen City Recorder on an ex parte basis. 4 On March 11, 2003, the Bergen City Recorder issued a ruling discussing § 30 and § 35b of the Norwegian Children Act and clarifying that Defendant Reeves's emigration with her daughter violated Furnes's right of codetermination with regard to the child, as follows: 48 The legal point of departure is that, pursuant to the settlement in court of 28 February 2001, the parties shall have joint legal custody of the child. That entails that, pursuant to section 30 of the Norwegian Children Act, the parties shall jointly make all of the necessary decisions about the child's circumstances, in which the child herself is unable to take part because of her maturity, etc. According to an express provision of section 43, paragraph 1 of the Children Act, both parties must agree before the child can emigrate from Norway. 49 According to the settlement in court, the defendant, Pamela Kay Reeves, shall have the daily care and control of the parties' joint child. Pursuant to section 35b of the Children Act, this entails the authority to make decisions about the child's daily circumstances, including moving within the borders of Norway. This authority does not include emigrating abroad with the child. 50 According to the documents of the case, the court presumes that Pamela Kay Reeves did not ask for the plaintiff's consent before she emigrated with the child to the USA in 2001. The emigration with the child was thereby in violation of [Tom] A. Furnes's right of codetermination with regard to the child. 51 This ruling indicated that, pursuant to § 30, Furnes and Reeves shall jointly make all of the necessary decisions about the child's circumstances, and that pursuant to § 35b, Reeves had the authority to make decisions about the child's daily circumstances, including moving within the borders of Norway, but not to emigrate abroad with the child. 52 Plaintiff Furnes then filed a motion for reconsideration with the federal district court on the basis of the Bergen City Recorder's ruling. The district court denied the motion.