Commentary on Sections Part 1 - Adoption Removal provisions Section 36: Partners of parents
Where a partner of a parent has given notice of intention to apply to adopt, the child may only be removed with the leave of the court or by an adoption authority or person in exercise of the power conferred by any statutory provision (other than Article 22(2) of the Children Order), or by a parent or guardian of the child (unless the child has lived with the partner of the parent for 3 out of the last 5 years, in which case a parent may not remove the child). A definition of “partner of a child’s parent” is given in section 159(6).