Just released: International Child Abduction by Mayela Celis (Madrid: Dykinson, 2023 – in Spanish)

I am thrilled to announce that my book on international child abduction has been published this week (María Mayela Celis Aguilar (aka Mayela Celis), Madrid: Dykinson, 2023, 604 pp. – in Spanish). More information is available here.

I am most grateful to Prof. Marina Vargas Gómez-Urrutia and Hans van Loon for having written the Foreword of this book and for their support throughout this process. This book is dedicated to the memory of Adair Dyer, former Deputy Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), whom some of you may have known.

As stated in the publisher’s website (translation into English): “This monograph conducts a critical study of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction by analysing both case law and doctrine. In particular, it examines key concepts of the Convention, such as habitual residence and rights of custody, as well as other problems that arise more frequently in its application. But not before carrying out a detailed study of the phenomenon of international child abduction from a multidisciplinary and human rights approach.

“From a case law perspective, this work analyses approximately 600 judgments – and decisions – issued in 46 countries party to the 1980 Hague Convention, as well as decisions from seven international or regional tribunals and bodies. Moreover, it prominently studies the decisions rendered by the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union that were considered most relevant. In addition, reference is made to decisions and opinions of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Inter-American Court of Human Rights, International Court of Justice, UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. 25 mediatic or historical cases are also analysed on the basis of news media or sociological and historical literature.

“From a doctrinal perspective, this book carries out a detailed study of the latest doctrinal developments, both European and Latin-American. Furthermore, from a legislative perspective, this work includes an analysis of the latest legislative developments regarding both hard law and soft law. With respect to the former, this work briefly studies the European Brussels II ter Regulation (2019/1111) and with regard to the latter, it analyses and provides critical comments on the Guide to Good Practice of the HCCH on Article 13(1)(b) of the 1980 Hague Convention.”

Book reviews are very much welcome.