Child

The Family Division granted an application to join the son of Madonna and Guy Ritchie to English proceedings brought by Madonna, under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980, for an order seeking his summary return to the US. Taking account of, among other things, the fact that he was close to the upper age limit that had been placed on the jurisdiction conferred by the Hague Convention, his maturity and expressed opposition to be returned to the US at the present time, it was in the child’s best interests to be joined as a party to the proceedings.