Married Women's Protection Act Amendment Act 1954 (WA)

No. 50.] Married Women's Protection. [1954.

MARRIED WOMEN'S PROTECTION.

3° Elizabeth II., No. L.

No. 50 of 1954.

AN ACT to amend the Married Women's Protection

Act, 1922.

[Assented to 8th December, 1954.]

BE it enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Short title

and citation. 1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Married

Women's Protection Act Amendment Act, 1954.

Reprinted Acts. Vol. 1, 1939. (2) In this Act the Married Women's Protection

Act, 1922,

Act No. 28 of 1922, reprinted as amended by Act

No. 14 of 1926,

is referred to as the principal Act.

1954.] Married Women's Protection. [No. 50.

(3) The principal Act as amended by this Act may be cited as the Married Women's Protection Act, 1922-1954.

2. The principal Act is amended by adding after Liotd,

section five the following section:-

5A. (1) Where an order grants the legal auk eof

custody of her children to a married woman, a i;,flys= court of summary jurisdiction may, if it appears arttlgileglas to the court desirable having regard to the wel- in orders.

fare of the children, by the same or a subsequent order direct the married woman to permit her husband access to the children at such times and under such conditions as the court thinks fit.

(2)

Where an order for access is so made a court of summary jurisdiction may, if it appears to the court desirable having regard to the welfare of the children, by subsequent order, cancel or vary the order for access.

(3) Courts of summary jurisdiction are not obliged to hear and determine applications for orders for access, or cancellation or variation of orders for access, under this section in open court, but may, if it appears to the court desir- able having regard to the welfare of the children concerned, hear and determine them in chambers.

(4)

Where a direction in an order for access is disobeyed by a married woman, a court of summary jurisdiction may vary or suspend the order for payment of maintenance to her by her husband, in such manner as the court thinks fit from time to time whenever the order for access is disobeyed by the married woman.