In Brief
Karina Jane Creed, an Australian citizen, sought Supreme Court relief to obtain a No Objection Certificate for adopting two Indian children aged 5 and 6, with whom she had formed a personal bond. The Court dismissed her petition, holding that inter-country adoption under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 requires strict compliance with statutory certification procedures regarding adoptive parent suitability. The children must first be placed in pre-adoption foster care with the prospective parent. Personal attachment, though genuine, cannot substitute for mandatory statutory requirements. The Court acknowledged the petitioner's sincere intentions but upheld the legal framework governing inter-country adoptions.
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