An adopted person cannot seek a declaration of paternity under the Status of Children Act (NT) in respect of a biological parent where a valid adoption order subsists, because the adoption order creates and maintains a parent/child relationship with the adoptive parents for all legal purposes. The Status of Children Act (NT) covers the field of paternity declarations, and the Court's general declaratory jurisdiction cannot be used to outflank that Act. No court has inherent jurisdiction to make a declaration of paternity as a bare declaration of biological fact absent demonstrated legal consequence.
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