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Adoption in Solomon Islands

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The Plural Practice of Adoption in Pacific Island States

Part of the book series: The World of Small States ((WSS,volume 5))

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Abstract

Solomon Islands’ legal system is one of complex legal pluralism, where the norms of state law and customary laws are often at odds. This is particularly the case in relation to law governing family relationships, including adoption. The chapter commences with an explanation of the frameworks for regulation of adoption, both by the state and by traditional authorities. It is concluded that, whilst recent reforms have done much to bring Solomon Islands laws into line with international law, State law and customary laws are still out of step.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Solomon Islands National Statistical Office (2009), p. xxii.

  2. 2.

    Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (2017), p. xxvii.

  3. 3.

    Solomon Islands National Statistical Office (2009), p. xxii.

  4. 4.

    Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (2017), p. 15.

  5. 5.

    Ibid., p. 87.

  6. 6.

    Lewis et al. (2013).

  7. 7.

    Kwa’iola (1999), pp. 132–134.

  8. 8.

    Pacific Order in Council 1893 (UK).

  9. 9.

    Native Courts Act [Cap 33] (Solomon Islands) s 18. See now Local Court Act [Cap 19] s 18.

  10. 10.

    Land and Titles Ordinance 1968 (UK) s 219.

  11. 11.

    Corrin and Paterson (2017), p. 193.

  12. 12.

    Constitution of Solomon Islands 1978 s 76(2)(1) (‘Constitution of Solomon Islands’).

  13. 13.

    Constitution of Solomon Islands, s 76(1) (The Constitution is a schedule to Solomon Islands Independence Order 1978 (UK)). English common law and equity was also retained in force: Constitution of Solomon Islands, s 76(2).

  14. 14.

    K v T [1985–1986] SILR 49. This case involved a custody dispute, and accordingly is arguably of questionable relevance to the interpretation of the phrase outside this area of law.

  15. 15.

    Re B [1983] SILR 223; Re Custody Application [1985–1986] SILR 49; and Sasango v Beliga [1987] SILR 91.

  16. 16.

    Constitution of Solomon Islands, Part II.

  17. 17.

    Adoption Act 2004, s 3(1).

  18. 18.

    Court of Appeal Act Cap 6, s 1.

  19. 19.

    Local Courts Act Cap 19, s 6.

  20. 20.

    Ibid., s 16.

  21. 21.

    See, e.g., Warrant Establishing the Malaita Local Court, LN 46/1986, 1 July 1976, para 5.

  22. 22.

    (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Palmer J, 19 June 1997) available via www.paclii.org at [1997] SBHC 33.

  23. 23.

    See further, Corrin (1999). There is some ambiguity in this part of the judgement in To’ofilu v Oimae, and it could be read as noting that counsel had not addressed the court on which forum was the appropriate place for dealing with such claims.

  24. 24.

    Persons who assumed leadership in their communities.

  25. 25.

    Brown (2005), p. 143.

  26. 26.

    This was the most common reason for adoption given in the survey responses.

  27. 27.

    Anonymous Survey Response, Honiara, September 2017.

  28. 28.

    This was the second most common reason for adoption given in the survey responses.

  29. 29.

    Anonymous Survey Response, Malaita, August 2017.

  30. 30.

    UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: State Party Report: Solomon Islands, UN Doc CRC/C/51/Add.6 (12 July 2002), p. 54.

  31. 31.

    UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: State Party Report: Solomon Islands, UN Doc CRC/C/51/Add.6 (12 July 2002), p. 30. This assertion was confirmed by the survey participants.

  32. 32.

    Brown (2005), p. 142.

  33. 33.

    Olowu (2007), p. 137.

  34. 34.

    Anonymous Survey Response, Malaita, August 2017.

  35. 35.

    Anonymous Survey Response, Malaita, August 2017; Anonymous Survey Response, Honiara, September 2017.

  36. 36.

    Anonymous survey participants, Malaita Province, August 2017; Anonymous Survey Response, Honiara, September 2017.

  37. 37.

    Farran (2011), p. 54.

  38. 38.

    UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: State Party Report: Solomon Islands, UN Doc CRC/C/51/Add.6 (12 July 2002), p. 54.

  39. 39.

    Farran (2009), p. 473.

  40. 40.

    Article 7.

  41. 41.

    Solomon Islands National Statistical Office (2017), p. 27.

  42. 42.

    UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: State Party Report: Solomon Islands, UN Doc CRC/C/51/Add.6 (12 July 2002), p. 54.

  43. 43.

    Re Belo (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Brown J, 12 December 2003) available via www.paclii.org at [2003] SBHC 84.

  44. 44.

    Re Tiokobule Bero (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Brown J, 27 July 2007) available via www.paclii.org at [2007] SBHC 94.

  45. 45.

    Re Hain (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Palmer CJ, 2 May 2008) available via www.paclii.org at [2008] SBHC 112; Re Miria (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Palmer CJ, 1 November 2007) available via www.paclii.org at [2007] SBHC 138.

  46. 46.

    R v Ngena [1983] SILR 1.

  47. 47.

    Adoption and Children Act 2002 (UK) c 38, s 1(2).

  48. 48.

    Farran (2009), p. 464.

  49. 49.

    See, e.g. Adoption Act 2009 (Qld) s 6(1); Adoption Act, RSBC 1996, c 5, s 2.

  50. 50.

    Farran (2009), p. 469.

  51. 51.

    Adoption Act 1958, s 7(1).

  52. 52.

    Ibid., s 7(2).

  53. 53.

    Ibid., s 1.

  54. 54.

    Re Stickel (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Kabui J, 31 August 2001) available via www.paclii.org at [2001] SBHC 138.

  55. 55.

    Re Belo (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Brown J, 12 December 2003) available via www.paclii.org at [2003] SBHC 84.

  56. 56.

    Attorney General, ‘Gazette Notice 145’ in Solomon Islands, Solomon Islands Gazette, No 46, 15 May 2008. The Act commenced on 1 June 2008.

  57. 57.

    For example, ‘child’ is the term used by the CRC.

  58. 58.

    Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017 s 4.

  59. 59.

    Adoption Act 1958, s 1; Adoption Act 2004, s 3.

  60. 60.

    Adoption Act 1958, s 3; Adoption Act 2004, s 5.

  61. 61.

    Adoption Act 1958, s 12; Adoption Act 2004, s 12.

  62. 62.

    Adoption Act 1958, s 4; Adoption Act 2004, s 6.

  63. 63.

    Adoption Act 1958, s 53; Adoption Act 2004, s 26.

  64. 64.

    Adoption Act 1958, s 50; Adoption Act 2004, s 23.

  65. 65.

    Adoption Act 2004, s 28.

  66. 66.

    Ibid., s 12(2).

  67. 67.

    Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017, s 4.

  68. 68.

    Adoption Act 2004, s 5(1).

  69. 69.

    Adoption Act 2004, s 2, definition of ‘infant.’ The Adoption Act 1958 defined an infant as a child from 6 weeks (s 3) to 21 years (s 57).

  70. 70.

    This change may have been made in error. Schedule 1 of the Adoption Act 1958 sets out eight fields to be included in the entry in the Adopted Children Register: entry number, date and country of birth, name and surname of child, sex of child, name, surname, address and occupation of adoptive parents, date of adoption order, date of entry, and the signature of officer. The Solomon Islands Act includes an almost identical Schedule 1, but the field for ‘Name [etc] of adoptive parents’ has been replaced by a field for ‘Name and surname of officer deputed by Registrar General to attest the entry.’

  71. 71.

    Re Boboria and Sua (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Apaniai PJ, 9 September 2014) available via http://www.paclii.org/sb/cases/SBHC/2014/109.html.

  72. 72.

    Article 20.

  73. 73.

    The Court has discretion under certain circumstances to dispense with consent of the biological parents: Adoption Act 1958, s 5; Adoption Act 2004, s 7.

  74. 74.

    Adoptions Regulations 2008 (Solomon Islands).

  75. 75.

    Adoption Regulations 2008 (Solomon Islands) s 13; Adoption Act 2004, s 18.

  76. 76.

    Adoption Act 2004, sch 1.

  77. 77.

    Ibid., s 18(4) and (5).

  78. 78.

    Article 7.

  79. 79.

    Adoption Act 2004, s 9(1)(b).

  80. 80.

    Ibid., s 9(2).

  81. 81.

    The Act came into force on 1 June 2008: Solomon Islands Gazette, No 46, L/N 145, 15 May 2008.

  82. 82.

    Re Rabaua (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Mwanesalua J, 27 July 2012) available via www.paclii.org at [2012] SBHC 77.

  83. 83.

    Re Armstrong (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Mwanesalua J, 2 April 2012) available via www.paclii.org at [2012] SBHC 26; Re Rabaua (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Mwanesalua J, 27 July 2012) available via www.paclii.org at [2012] SBHC 77.

  84. 84.

    Re Duinkerke (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Mwanesalua J, 2 September 2011) available via www.paclii.org at [2011] SBHC 82.

  85. 85.

    Re Matautia (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Mwanesalua J, 21 March 2013) available via www.paclii.org at [2013] SBHC 22.

  86. 86.

    Re Boboria and Sua (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Apaniai PJ, 9 September 2014) available via www.paclii.org at [2014] SBHC 109.

  87. 87.

    Marumaru v Wetara (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Mwanesalua J, 28 July 2009) available via www.paclii.org at [2009] SBHC 28; see also Re Rietveld (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Mwanesalua J, 3 February 2012) available via www.paclii.org at [2012] SBHC 9.

  88. 88.

    Re Rabaua (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Mwanesalua J, 27 July 2012) available via www.paclii.org at [2012] SBHC 77.

  89. 89.

    Re Wetara (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Mwanesalua J, 21 November 2012) available via www.paclii.org at [2012] SBHC 130.

  90. 90.

    Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017, s 8.

  91. 91.

    Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017, s 8. The Child and Family Welfare Act 2017 also refers to the ‘best interest of the child’: s 11(j).

  92. 92.

    Child and Family Welfare Act 2017, s 70(a)(ii). As at July 2018, the Act was not yet in force.

  93. 93.

    [1982] SILR 12. In reliance on the provision in the Guardianship of Infants Act 1925 (UK) that the court must ‘regard the welfare of the infant as the first and paramount consideration’, the courts rejected customary custody arrangements driven by principles of patriarchy, rather than by the child’s best interests. See also Re B [1983] SILR 223; K v T [1985/86] SILR 49; Sasango v Beliga [1987] SILR 91.

  94. 94.

    Sukutaona v Houanihou [1982] SILR 12.

  95. 95.

    Section 67.

  96. 96.

    Child and Family Welfare Act 2017, s 45.

  97. 97.

    Section 12.

  98. 98.

    Adoption Act 2004, s 12.

  99. 99.

    Hague Conference on Private International Law, Status Table 28: Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Adoption (updated 2 August 2017).

  100. 100.

    Solomon Islands Gazette, L/N 33, 17 May 2017.

  101. 101.

    Adoption Act 2004, s 25(2).

  102. 102.

    Ibid., s 25(3).

  103. 103.

    Penalties Miscellaneous Amendments Act 2009 s 3, the value of one penalty unit is one dollar.

  104. 104.

    Adoption Act 2004, s 28.

  105. 105.

    UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: State Party Report: Solomon Islands, UN Doc CRC/C/51/Add.6 (12 July 2002), p. 30.

  106. 106.

    Cap 33 (Solomon Islands), s 97.

  107. 107.

    Cap 1.

  108. 108.

    Section 21(6).

  109. 109.

    Re Armstrong (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Mwanesalua J, 2 April 2012) available via www.paclii.org at [2012] SBHC 26.

  110. 110.

    Re Matautia (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Mwanesalua J, 21 March 2012) available via www.paclii.org at [2013] SBHC 22.

  111. 111.

    Farran (2012), p. 204.

  112. 112.

    UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: State Party Report: Solomon Islands, UN Doc CRC/C/51/Add.6 (12 July 2002).

  113. 113.

    UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: Concluding Observations: Solomon Islands, 33rd sess, 889th mtg, UN Doc CRC/C/15/Add.208 (2 July 2003), p. 2.

  114. 114.

    Child and Family Welfare Act 2017, Long Title.

  115. 115.

    Ibid., s 67.

  116. 116.

    Ibid., s 68.

  117. 117.

    Ibid., s 69.

  118. 118.

    International Social Service Australia (2012), p. 30.

  119. 119.

    Solomon Islands Courts (Civil Procedure) (Amendment) Rules 2010, Sch 1.

  120. 120.

    Solomon Islands Civil Procedure Rules 2007.

  121. 121.

    Adoption Act 2004, s 19(2).

  122. 122.

    Up until 5 September, six (6) other orders were granted for adoption after the 30 October 2015 order. These orders were not registered by the Registrar General’s Office.

  123. 123.

    Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (2017), p. 87.

  124. 124.

    Anonymous Survey Response, Malaita, August 2017.

  125. 125.

    UNICEF (2009).

  126. 126.

    Anonymous Survey Response, Malaita, August 2017.

  127. 127.

    Anonymous Survey Response, Malaita, August 2017.

  128. 128.

    Anonymous Survey Response, Malaita, August 2017.

  129. 129.

    The Democratic Coalition for Change Government Policy Statement 2015 (27 Jan 2015), p. 22.

  130. 130.

    The Bill raises the age of criminal responsibility from 8 to 12 years.

  131. 131.

    Persons between 12 and 18 years of age.

  132. 132.

    Cf. K v R (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Palmer CJ, 16 September 2005) available via www.paclii.org at [2005] SBHC 150, where the Court held the requirements of Conventions including the CRC were ‘already well reflected’ in domestic legislation, making further legislation unnecessary.

  133. 133.

    See further, Corrin and Cappa (2015).

  134. 134.

    Solomon Islands Law Reform Commission, Vision Statement, 2014–2018 Corporate Plan.

  135. 135.

    The application form requires the signature of the parent or legal guardian and lodgement of the birth certificate. In the case of a legal guardian a court order must be lodged. Whilst there is no specific mention of the requirement to lodge an adoption order, it seems that this will be required where other documentation reveals an adoption, although by analogy with the practice regarding evidence of marriage, the Ministry may be prepared to accept a statutory declaration to confirm the adoption.

  136. 136.

    (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Brown J, 12 December 2003) available via www.paclii.org at [2003] SBHC 84.

  137. 137.

    (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Palmer J, 23 December 1993) available via www.paclii.org at [1993] SBHC 81.

  138. 138.

    This is the body set up to provide legal aid: see Constitution of Solomon Islands 1978, s 92; Public Solicitor Act Cap 30.

  139. 139.

    Anonymous Survey Participant, Honiara, September 2017.

  140. 140.

    Adoption of Children Act 1968 Cap 275 (Papua New Guinea), s 54 provides that the Local Court may, on application by a party, grant a certificate that a customary adoption has been made or terminated.

  141. 141.

    Re Stickel (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Kabui J, 31 August 2001) available via www.paclii.org at [2001] SBHC 138.

  142. 142.

    Anonymous Survey Participant, Malaita, August 2017.

  143. 143.

    Re V [1985-6] SILR 252; Re Okini Manu (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Palmer J, 30 July 1999) available via www.paclii.org at [1999] SBHC 74; Re Stickel (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Kabui J, 31 August 2001) available via www.paclii.org at [2001] SBHC 138; Re Belo (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Brown J, 12 December 2003) available via www.paclii.org at [2003] SBHC 84.

  144. 144.

    Re Tiokobule Bero (Unreported, High Court, Solomon Islands, Brown J, 27 July 2007) available via www.paclii.org at [2007] SBHC 94.

  145. 145.

    Cap 1, s 21(6).

  146. 146.

    Affiliation, Separation and Maintenance Act Cap 1, s 25(1)(b).

  147. 147.

    Child and Family Welfare Act 2017, Long Title.

  148. 148.

    Cap 1, s 21(6), read together with s 25.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Solomon Islands Law Reform Commission, Honiara, Solomon Islands

    Philip Kanairara

  2. Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Jennifer Corrin

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  1. Philip Kanairara
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Jennifer Corrin

  2. Northumbria Law School, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Sue Farran

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Kanairara, P., Corrin, J. (2019). Adoption in Solomon Islands. In: Corrin, J., Farran, S. (eds) The Plural Practice of Adoption in Pacific Island States. The World of Small States, vol 5. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95077-8_6

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