Brazil – Regional Federal Court concentrates jurisdiction for international child abduction cases
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On 14 June 2012, a Regional Federal Court in Brasilia, Brazil decided to concentrate jurisdiction for international child abduction cases at the first-instance level. The move, undertaken by the Regional Federal Court for the 1st Region (which includes the Federal District and 13 States), is a significant step forward for the operation of the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention, as practice has shown that the concentration of jurisdiction facilitates the development of judicial expertise, which then results in the Convention operating more expediently and effectively. The four other additional Regional Court jurisdictions in Brazil are expected to follow suit in the near future.