Public invited to comment on new family laws

ANNETTE BOURGEOIS

A group of MLAs want to know what you think of changes to four laws that could change the way Nunavumiut think about family

Last fall MLAs introduced amendments to the Family Law Act, the Children’s Law Act, The Child and Family Services Act and the Adoption Act after nearly a decade of work.

The four bills deal with various aspects of family life including domestic relationships, adoptions and the support, custody, and protection of children.

Now the Standing Committee of Social Programs wants to hear what people think of the changes to these four pieces of legislation.

Committee members want to meet the public in Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit in April and Cambridge Bay in May.

The amendments address inconsistencies in the current legislation and areas of the bills that are outdated.

Who’s married?

The Family Law Act introduced last fall proposes to change the way the law affects couples who divorce or separate.

The act defines a spouse as including married and common-law spouses. The bill would provide for domestic contracts and spousal support. It also gives clear rules for division of family property.

The Children’s Law Act would continue to establish the legal status of children. It also proposes to update the ways parentage is determined by the courts.

This law covers guidance on child support and would eliminate the difference in the way married parents are treated compared to common-law parents.

The Child and Family Services Act, if passed, will be new legislation that will give communities and the courts more authority to make decisions concerning children’s best interests. It also allows social workers more discretion in deciding to remove children from certain situations.

The Adoption Act will cover private, step-parent and departmental adoptions and allows for pre-adoption counseling.

An adoption registry would be established and include records of parents’ medical histories and other relevant information. It also proposes a more open process for searches and reunions when adopted children become adults.

After the committee completes its review, it will make recommendations to accept the proposals as presented, accept the legislation with changes or reject it outright.

These recommendations will be presented to the legislative assembly for debate before they become law.

The meetings in Rankin Inlet will be held Tuesday, April 8 from 3-5 p.m. at the community hall, and Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30-noon and 1:30-5pm.

The group will conduct similar meetings in Iqaluit from Friday April 11 to Sunday April 13 at the Astro Theatre and Conference Centre.

Anyone who’d like to make a presentation to the committee in these communities can request an appearance.

People who aren’t able to attend these meetings but would like to contribute to the debate can submit written presentations to the committee.