(a) In a case arising under this chapter or involving the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia may take any lawful action, including resort to a proceeding under this subchapter or any other available civil proceeding, to locate a child, obtain the return of a child, or enforce a child-custody determination if there is:
(1) An existing child-custody determination;
(2) A request to do so from a court in a pending child-custody proceeding;
(3) A reasonable belief that a criminal statute has been violated; or
(4) A reasonable belief that the child has been wrongfully removed or retained in violation of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
(b) A member of the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia acting under this section acts on behalf of the court and may not represent any party.
CREDIT(S)
(Apr. 27, 2001, D.C. Law 13-293, § 2(d), 48 DCR 2214; Mar. 31, 2009, D.C. Law 17-378, § 2(b)(1), 56 DCR 1572.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 17-378, in the section heading and subsecs. (a) and (b), substituted “Attorney General for the District of Columbia” for “Corporation Counsel”.
Legislative History of Laws
For D.C. Law 13-293, see notes following § 16-4601.01.
Law 17-378, the “Uniform Child Abduction Act of 2008”, was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 17-626 which was referred to the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on November 18, 2008, and December 2, 2008, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on January 29, 2009, it was assigned Act No. 17-716 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 17-378 became effective on March 25, 2009.
Uniform Law
This section is based upon § 315 of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (1997 Act). See 9, Part IA, Uniform Laws Annotated, Master Edition, or ULA Database on Westlaw.