8 April 2016 – http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/tara-brown-and-60-minutes-crew-detained-in-beirut/news-story/1f6a32ddc78805fe739083928d04e839
News agencies this morning are reporting that 60 Minutes crewmembers have been detained recently in Lebanon on suspicion of child abduction charges. It seems the children at the centre of the matter were taken by their Lebanese father to Lebanon without their Australian mother’s consent.
Lebanon is not a signatory to the ‘Hague Convention’ meaning that the mother is unable to seek assistance from the Australian Family Law Courts and Australian Federal Police to recover the children. She would, in effect, need to litigate in the Family Court system in Lebanon to seek to lawfully recover the children.
This incident highlights the complexity and seriousness of international relocation cases. Parents with ties to other countries should always consult a lawyer as soon as possible after they separate. Lawyers can assist with having appropriate protections put in place to ensure children remain in Australia after separation, such as having the children placed on the Australian Airport Watchlist (the ‘no fly list’).
We have handled numerous international relocation cases, and in fact have multiple international relocation cases on foot at present. Should you, or someone you know require advice on the topic, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
This article was written by child custody lawyer, Kyle Barram. Kyle heads up Gun Lawyers’ Townsville team of child custody lawyers.