[Rev. 2012] Children CAP. 141 CHAPTER 141 CHILDREN ACT [Date of assent: 31st December, 2001.] [Date of commencement: 1st March, 2002.] An Act of Parliament to make provision for parental responsibility, fostering, adoption, custody, maintenance, guardianship, care and protection of children; to make provision for the administration of children’s institutions; to give effect to the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and for connected purposes [Act No. 8 of 2001, L.N. 23/2002, Act No. 8 of 2010, Act No. 12 of 2012.] PART I – PRELIMINARY 1. Short title and commencement This Act may be cited as the Children Act, 2001 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different provisions. 2. Interpretation In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— “Adoption Committee” means the Committee established under section 155; “adoption order” means an adoption order under section 154 vesting the parental rights and duties relating to a child in the adopter; “adoption society” means a society approved by the Adoption Committee under section 177; “age” where actual age is not known means apparent age; “appointed local authority” means a local authority appointed under section 41; “approved officer” means a person appointed under section 38; “Area Advisory Council” means a council established under section 32; “authorised officer” means a police officer, an administrative officer, a children’s officer, an approved officer, a chief appointed under the Chiefs’ Act (Cap. 128), a labour officer or any other officer authorised by the Director for the purposes of this Act; “body of persons” means any body of persons whether incorporate or unincorporate; “borstal institution” means a borstal institution established by section 3 of the Borstal Institutions Act (Cap. 92); “child” means any human being under the age of eighteen years; C15 - 11 [Issue 1]