Family Court and Attorney General’s Ministry Discuss Key Amendment to Family Law

Today, the Attorney General’s Ministry met with the Director of the Family Court and the court’s Magistrates to discuss the removal of a provision in the Families and Children’s Act. Two weeks ago, Love News broke the story of a landmark ruling made on the act in the High Court.  Justice Martha Alexander deemed a section of the act unconstitutional and ruled in favor of a man, who was ordered to pay child maintenance for children, who are not biologically his. Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre explained that since then his ministry has been seeking advice on the ruling’s impact.

Anthony Sylvestre, Attorney General: “I had a meeting on Friday with the executive director of NCFC, National Children’s Committee on Families and Children, to get their expert view as it relates to how impactful a provision being removed like this will be. As you will appreciate the provision in the FACA speaks to a mandatory obligation of a father maintaining their children. Then there’s this further provision that says  look, if you as a man if I marry you Marisol and you have children then you should you know perhaps bear the burden of taking care of your children. And I think one of the things you will appreciate is that so this law was enacted in 1998 and from my recollection, in 1998, I could be wrong, in terms of the financial standing position of man versus woman men were in a much more superior position so you could see the thinking behind the legislation at that point. But to answer your question, Marisol, the order hasn’t been drafted as yet but go back to cabinet and cabinet will make a decision.”