At what age will an Israeli court give weight to a child’s views when dealing with an application for his or her return abroad in Hague Convention abduction proceedings ?
By: דיאנה שאלתיאל•Published on: 30 May, 2022The 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abduction does not mention any specific age regarding when a child’s wishes should be taken into account, leaving the court hearing the application to decide whether the minor has the requisite understanding and maturity for his/her viewpoint to count. Courts in many countries hearing abduction cases only give weight to the wishes of a child who is around 12 years of age.