Substantive and Procedural Legal Issues in Dispute Resolution Under the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction

Abstract

The article is devoted to considering cases on the return of a child or on the exercising access rights in relation to a child on the basis of the Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction of 1980. The importance of cases concerning the return of a child or the exercise of access rights in respect of a child necessitates theoretical development not only of the procedural institutions, which norms regulate the examination of this category of cases by the courts, but also an analysis of the substantive aspects of disputes concerning the return of a child or the exercise of access rights in respect of a child on the basis of the 1980 Convention. According to the author, the relationship between substantive and procedural law is reflected in the principle of the best interests of the child, the subject of judicial protection, the specifics of the protection means and the subject of proof, as well as the specifics of the composition and procedural position of the persons involved in the trial of the category under study. Particular attention is paid to the tasks and powers of the central authorities established to ensure the unhindered and effective application of the 1980 Convention. It is proposed to transfer the powers of the central body in this sphere from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation to the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. The development of the institution of mediation, including the active promotion of the expansion of mediation cooperation within the framework of interstate contacts aimed at resolving cases of the category under consideration, seems promising.