Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Justice
Amend the Child Abduction Act to criminalise failure to return a child to UK
Closed
313 signatures
What the petition asks
UK Government to close the legal loop-hole known as the “Nicolaou problem”, named after the legal case which found that, if a child is taken abroad legally but then illegally detained there, no criminal offence is committed.
I want the Government to close a 36 year old legal loop-hole, known as the “Nicolaou problem. The “Nicolaou problem” named after the legal case, which found that, if a child is taken abroad legally but then illegally detained there, no criminal offence is committed.
This means no arrest warrant can be issued by the British police, no extradition can be sought, and that parents are left at the mercy of foreign courts and their officers for help tracking down and recovering their child.
This means no arrest warrant can be issued by the British police, no extradition can be sought, and that parents are left at the mercy of foreign courts and their officers for help tracking down and recovering their child.
Timeline
| 13 Oct 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 13 Apr 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
313
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
13 Oct 2020
Closed
13 Apr 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.