Opinion ID: 741731
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Intent of the Hague Convention

Text: 39 Failing to grant the motion to dismiss where a second duplicative action has been filed in a different country would potentially render the Hague Convention meaningless. Part of the Convention's intent is to ensure that rights of custody and of access under the law of one Contracting State are effectively respected in other Contracting States. Hague Convention, art. 1(b), 51 Fed.Reg. at 10498. Prior to the Convention, when faced with an unfavorable custody decision, a parent would flee to another country in search of a custody decision in his or her favor. This would often result in two conflicting custody decisions without guidance as to which country's custody decision had preference. The Hague Convention was drafted with the intent to remove forever the incentive for a parent to flee across borders to obtain a favorable ruling. Letter of Transmittal from President Ronald Reagan (Oct. 30, 1985), reprinted in 51 Fed.Reg. 10494, 10,495 (1986); Pub. Notice 957, 51 Fed.Reg. 10494, 10505 (1986). Under the Convention, a child is to be expediently returned to his or her state of habitual residence so that a court there can examine the merits of the custody dispute and award custody in the child's best interests. Pub. Notice 957, 51 Fed.Reg. at 10505. As a result, the Convention was meant, in part, to lend priority to the custody determination hailing from the child's state of habitual residence. 40 While the Convention proceedings in this case certainly have not achieved this intended result, a refusal to dismiss this action only exacerbates the problem. By failing to dismiss the United States action we would allow to stand two conflicting decisions regarding Julia's state of habitual residence, which could very well require a Hague Convention to determine which Hague Convention determination is valid. This, of course, is absurd. By dismissing this action, we instead require these and future litigants to choose which jurisdiction will determine a child's state of habitual residence, thereby salvaging what we can of the Convention's intended purpose. 9 41 Failing to grant the motion to dismiss also could create a new incentive for parents to flee Hague Convention proceedings in the hope of obtaining a second, more favorable Convention determination in another country. We then would be left to solve the riddle of which competing ruling in each case is valid. This is a task we refuse to acquire. Rather, we believe the parties' interests would be best represented and judicial resources best spent if parents engaged in this type international custody battle are required to resolve their dispute in one jurisdiction or the other. Holding Mr. Larson and future litigants to one jurisdiction gives import to the Convention's intended meaning. 42