Opinion ID: 4104882
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Pliego’s Fees Incurred on Appeal

Text: Finally, Pliego requests an award of attorneys’ fees, lawsuit expenses, and costs incurring during this appeal. Pliego’s request is based on the fee-shifting provisions of the Hague Abduction Convention and ICARA. Article 26 of the Hague Abduction Convention provides that “[u]pon ordering the return of a child . . . the judicial or administrative authorities may, where appropriate, direct the person who removed or retained the child, . . . to pay necessary expenses incurred by or on behalf of the applicant.” Hague Abduction Convention art. 26. The ICARA provision implementing this language provides that “[a]ny court ordering the return of the child pursuant to an action brought under [ICARA] shall order the respondent to pay necessary expenses incurred by or on behalf of the petitioner.” 22 U.S.C. § 9007(b)(3) (2012). According to the plain meaning of both the Convention and ICARA, these provisions apply only to courts “ordering the return of the child.” Thus, this provision does not apply to this court—which is not a court ordering the return of the child, but rather a court affirming another court’s order to return the child. This interpretation is supported by the decisions of sister circuits that have addressed the issue. Hollis v. O’Driscoll, 739 F.3d 108, 113 (2d Cir. 2014); West v. Dobrev, 735 F.3d 921, 933 n.9 (10th Cir. 2013). However, we do not reach the issue of whether the district court that ordered the child’s return in Pliego II may, upon separate motion, award fees incurred on this appeal. No. 15-5895 Pliego v. Hayes Page 16