Status of Children (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Act 18 of 2026)

STATUS OF CHILDREN (AMENDMENT) ACT, AN ACT TO AMEND THE STATUS OF CHILDREN ACT, 2003 TO CHANGE THE DEFINITIONS OF CERTAIN WORDS USED IN THE ACT AND TO INTRODUCE A DEFINITION FOR THE WORD “CHILD”; TO PROVIDE FOR THE EFFECT OF CONSENT GIVEN BY MINORS WHO HAVE ATTAINED THE AGE OF SIXTEEN YEARS; TO EMPOWER THE SUMMARY COURT WITH JURISDICTION TO DEAL WITH MATTERS UNDER THE ACT; TO PROVIDE FOR TRANSITIONAL MATTERS; AND FOR INCIDENTAL AND CONNECTED PURPOSES ENACTED by the Legislature of the Cayman Islands. Short title and commencement (1) This Act may be cited as the Status of Children (Amendment) Act, 2026. (2) Subject to subsection (3), this Act comes into force immediately after section 64(c) of the Children (Amendment) Act, 2024 comes into force. (3) Section 2(c) comes into force immediately after section 4(e) of the Children (Amendment) Act, 2024 comes into force. I Assent, Franz Manderson Acting Governor Date: 1st July, 2026

Amendment of section 2 of the Status of Children Act, 2003 - interpretation The Status of Children Act, 2003, in this Act referred to as the “principal Act”, is amended in section 2 as follows — (a) by inserting after the definition of the words “bodily sample” the “ “child” has the meaning assigned by section 2 of the Children Act (2012 Revision);”; (b) by deleting the definition of the word “court” and substituting the “ “court” means the Grand Court or the Summary Court, as applicable;”; and by deleting the definition of the word “parent” and substituting the “ “parent” has the meaning assigned by section 2 of the Children Act (2012 Revision);”. Amendment of section 15 - parentage testing orders The principal Act is amended in section 15 as follows — (a) in subsection (5), by deleting the words “over the age of 18” and substituting the words “who is eighteen years of age or older”; and (b) by inserting after subsection (6) the following subsection — “(7) Where the person referred to in subsection (6)(a)(i) is a minor who has attained the age of sixteen years, the consent of that person shall be as effective as it would be if the person were eighteen years old.”.

Transitional provision On the date of commencement of this amending Act every matter and proceeding that is — (a) commenced in any court under the Affiliation Act (1995 Revision); and (b) pending or in progress immediately before the date of commencement of this amending Act, may be continued, completed and enforced under the principal Act as amended by this amending Act, unless the court thinks it fit to deal with the matter or proceeding as if the Affiliation Act (1995 Revision) were still in force. Passed by the Parliament the 23rd day of June, 2026. Hon. D. Ezzard Miller Speaker Zena Merren-Chin Clerk of the Parliament