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Abstract

Under the current choice-of-law rule concerning the intercountry adoption in the Taiwanese Private International Law Act, the adopter and the child should be governed by their national law respectively. The application of this rule is known as a distributive approach and the rule was made by reference to the old Japanese private international law. However, in 1989, Japanese law revised the choice-of-law rule on intercountry adoption and abandoned the distributive approach, due to the reason that such an approach tended to be construed as a cumulative approach by Japanese courts. Consequently, the formation of intercountry adoption in Japan turned out to be more difficult under the application of the cumulative approach. It made the adoptive parent governed not only by his or her national law, but also by the child’s national law, and vice versa for the child. Thus, this complicated approach has become the main reason for Japan to make a law reform on intercountry adoption in 1989 amendment of private international. The same situation is happening in Taiwan. Most Taiwanese courts falsely construe the choice-of-law rule on intercountry adoption as a cumulative approach. Unfortunately, the latest amendment on intercountry adoption in the Taiwanese private law act made no substantial change to the new provision. This article also argues that the application of hidden renvoi to intercountry adoption cases is not only contradictive to the objects of the theory of renvoi but also lacks theoretical justifications in private international law methods.

References

Legal Documents China (Taiwan). Act Governing the Choice of Law in Civil Matters Involving Foreign Elements, 2010. The English translation of the Act is available at https://law.moj.gov.tw/ENG/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=B0000007. Convention on the Rights of the Child. 1577 UNTS 3 (opened for signature 20 November 1989, entered into force 2 September 1990).

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Journal Article Shyu, Huei-Yi, “Lun Shewai minshi falv shiyongfa xiuzheng caoanzhong youguan shenfenfazhi neirong yu jiantao 論涉外民事法律適用法修正草案中有關身分法之容與檢討[On Amendments To The Law Applicable To Foreign-related Civil Legal Status Of The Draft Law On The Content And Review.]” Taiwan Law Review月旦法學雜誌160, (September 2008): 134-160. Tsai, Hua-Kai. “Guojisifa Shang De Shouyang 國際私法上的收養 [Adoption on Private International Law].” National Chenchi University Law Review政大法學評論126, (April 2012): 57-104. Tsai, Hua-Kai. “Woguo Juyou caipanguanxiaquan?-Lun Tai mei jian zhengduo zinv shijian” 我國具有國際裁判管轄權？-論台美間爭奪子女事件[Do We have International Jurisdiction to Adjudicate?: A Comment on Child Abduction Case between Taiwan and the USA.]” Chinese (Taiwan) Review of International and Transnational Law 中華國際法與超國界法評論 3, no. 2 (December 2007): 223-257.

Websites Hague Conference on Private International Law. “Adoption Section.” Accessed 15 January 2022, https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/specialised-sections/intercountry-adoption. Hague Conference on Private International Law. “Conventions and Instruments.” Accessed 11 May 2022, https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/full-text/?cid=69. Wenzhong, Lian Pei Bai Lai. “American couple adopts girl and moves to Taiwan for her to study.” CTS, 31 August 2010.” Accessed 11 May 2022, http://news.cts.com.tw/cts/general/201008/201008310551979.html.

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