Section 72 — Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989: Court not to make declaration unless family group conference held

72 Court not to make declaration unless family group conference held (1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, the Court shall not make a declaration under section 67 of this Act that a child or young person is in need of care or protection unless a family group conference has been held under this Part of this Act (or, in the case of an application on the ground specified in section 14(1)(e) of this Act, under Part 4 of this Act) in relation to the matter that forms the ground of the application. (2) Nothing in subsection (1) of this section applies in respect of any application to which section 70(2)(c) of this Act applies. (3) Where an application is made to the Court for a declaration under section 67 of this Act, the Court may, at any stage of the hearing of that application, on the application of any party to the proceedings or of its own motion, direct a Care and Protection Co-ordinator to convene a family group conference in relation to the matter that forms the ground of the application.