Rowel v. Dabrera – sllr 1989 volume 2 page 109

In ROWEL v. DABRERA, the court addressed whether the Magistrate’s Court retained jurisdiction over maintenance claims following the Judicature (Amendment) Act, No. 71 of 1981. It was held that jurisdiction for maintenance applications was re-vested in the Magistrate’s Court, thereby precluding the Family Court from hearing such matters. The findings established that the statutory interpretation of the amendment unambiguously shifted jurisdiction, and evidence supported the maintenance order for the Applicant-Respondent and her two minor children. The decision emphasized the statutory limits on Family Court jurisdiction, ensuring that maintenance matters are to be heard by the Magistrate’s Court as per the amendment in force.

D.P.S. Gunasekera J. — It was determined that the Judicature (A