Australian parents barred from changing adopted childs name
Publish date: 25 October 2004
Issue Number: 1202
Diary: Legalbrief Today
Category: Corruption
About 100 Korean children are adopted by Australian families each year and one of the most contentious issues arising from these adoptions is the changing of names.
In the latest case to come before a New South Wales court, a Sydney couple has been barred from changing the name of their adopted son under a new law that stops parents changing a birth name, on the grounds that it is a core part of a child\'s identity, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. However, the couple says their chosen name was also Korean and they applied for the switch because the original, Nguyen, was difficult to pronounce. Justice Reg Barrett denied their application with some unease, saying Australia had made commitments to other countries, and the law tied his hands. Full report in the Sydney Morning Herald