Adoptee Rights and Access to Records in Northern Ireland

Dr Alice Diver hosts LawPod with fellow adult adoptees Anita, Richard/Michael, and Michelle to discuss adoptee rights amid Northern Ireland law reform and truth recovery processes. They describe meeting through an Adopt NI peer support group and how reports on institutional abuse prompted them to seek their own histories. The conversation focuses on barriers to accessing adoption, institutional, court, trust, and medical records despite Northern Ireland being an open records jurisdiction, including redactions, missing or destroyed files, inconsistent disclosure, and records held by churches and other gatekeepers. They emphasise the emotional harm, distrust, and "gaps" adoptees face; the need for accountable systems and legislation that ensure complete, reliable access; and the reality that receiving records is only the start, with reunions and identity integration continuing afterwards. They highlight peer support and mentoring through Adopt NI and invite adoptees to seek help. Further Information