Married Persons Summary Separation.

Manawatu Herald, 24 October 1896, Page 2

Married Persons Summary Separation.

By means of this Act, the jurisdiction of Stipendiary Magistrates in respect to the summary separation of married persons is extended. Any married woman or any married man, for the law is now made to out both ways, may apply for a separation from the peraon she or he is married to on the following grounds : —That the person against whom the application is being made has been guilty of an aggravated assault upon the applicant, or lined £5 or upwards, or sentenced to a term of imprisonment exceeding two months for aesault, or has been guilty of desertion, or persistent ernelty, or wilful neglect to provide reasonable maintenance for the applicant or infant ohildren he (or she) is legally liable to maintain. On any of the above grounds a man or woman cas now apply for a summary separation of the marriage ties, and it is within the powers of the Court to order: That the applicant can be no longer bound to oohabit with her or his husband or wife as the case may be ; the legal custody of tha ohildren ; weekly payments for the maintenance of the applicant and children, and security for due payment of moneys ordered to be paid. No order is to be made if the applicant has been guilty of adultery, provided that such offence has not been condoned or connived at or by wilful neglect or by misconduct conduced to by the responding party. Volun-* tary resumption of cohabitation, or adultery, when proved, will be sufficient to discharge any order made. Power is given the court to refuse to make an order, and to refer the case to the Supreme Court if it is thought it could bo more conveniently dealt with there. —Pott.