Commentary on Sections Part 3 .Miscellaneous Section 108 - Rules: appointment of curators ad litem and reporting officers
353.By virtue of this section, a court can appoint a curator ad litem or a reporting officer to act in an application for a relevant order (defined by subsection (4) as an adoption order, a permanence order or an order under section 65 of the Act) in such cases as are prescribed by rules. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) outline the roles of these officers: a curator ad litem will act to safeguard the interests of the child during proceedings; a reporting officer will witness agreements to adoption and perform other duties that may be prescribed.
354.Subsection (2) provides that the rules made under subsection (1), may, in particular, make provision enabling the reporting officer to be appointed before the application is made and enabling the court to appoint the same person as curator ad litem and reporting officer.
355.Under subsection (3), any rules made under subsection (1) may not allow any person who is employed by the adoption agency which has applied for an adoption order in respect of the child to be appointed as a curator ad litem or reporting officer. Similarly, rules may not allow any person who is employed by the local authority who has applied for a permanence order in respect of the child to be appointed as a curator ad litem or reporting officer.