The Gazette 1983

GAZETTE

JULY/AUGUST 1983 Growth in Family Law Cases (Extract from Dáil Debates, 19 June 1983) Reprinted by kind permission of the Stationery Office.

Numb er of Petitions presented to the High Court in each of the past ten years, claiming a decree of nullity of marriage.

Number of Petitions claiming divorce presented to the High Court in each of the past ten years.

Year

Number of High Court Petitions for divorce a mensa et thoro

Number of High Court Petitions for nullity of marriage presented

Year

1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982

26 51 43 37 29 39

3 8 8

1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982

3

11 11 10 16

34 27 25 20

21 21

Number of Applications made to the District Court in each of the past four years under the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976, Family Law (Protection of Spouses and Children) Act, 1981 and Guardianship of In- fants Act, 1964.

Number of applications for original Maintenance Orders or for variation of existing Maintenance Orders under the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act. 1976

Number of applications for Barring Orders under the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976.

Number of applications for Protection Orders under the Family Law (Protection of Spouses and Children) Act, 1981.

Number of applications under the Guardianship of Infants Act, 1964

Year ending 31 July

1,493 1,917 2,225 2,428

1979 1980 1981 1982

1.935 2,121 2,708 2,433

—

—

—

—

—

—

56 (in the Dublin

Nil

Metropolitan District)

Notes: The Information sought in respect of applications under the Married Women (Maintenance in Case of Desertion) Act, 1886 is not available because separate statistics relating to such applications were not compiled in the District Court. That Act was repealed by the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976, which came into operation on 6 May 1976. Annual statistics in respect of maintenance and barring applications have been kept only since the year which commenced on 1 August 1978. The figures for applications made to the Provincial District Courts for Protection Orders under the Family Law (Pro- tection of Spouses and Children) Act, 1981, during the year ended 31 July 1982. are not yet available. The information will be supplied to the Deputy as soon as possible. The District Court did not have jurisdiction under the Guardianship of Infants Act, 1964, until the commencement of the Courts Act, 1981. on 12 May 1982. Number of summonses issued in the High Court in each of the ten years. 1973 to 1982 inclusive, seeking relief under any one or a combination of the Acts referred to in the headings. Heading 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 The Guardianship of Infants Act, 1964. 28 69 107 86 182 211 285 384 505 169 The Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and 370 428 165 Children) Act, 1976. — — — — 148 196 263 The Married Women (Status) Act. 1957 1 — — — — — 114 151 238 - 269 148 The Family Home Protection Act, 1976- — — — — — 83 121 242 341 139 Thc Partition Acts, 1542 to 1876 3 — — — — — 75 61 The Guardianship of Infants Act, 1886 4 — — — — — The Family Law (Protection of Spouses and Children) Act, 1981 5 21 27 The Married Women (Maintenance in case of Desertion) Act. 1886 6 4 6 32 50 Notes: i Figures have been maintained separately only since 1978. 2Figures have been maintained separately only since 1978.

^Figures have been maintained separately only for the last two years. -iThis Act was repealed by the Guardianship of Infants Act, 1964. ^ln force since 1981. f.This Act was replaced by the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976. Figures for the vcar 1977 onwards would, therefore, relate only to the latter Act.