The Gazette 1983

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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 nullity of marriage presented
1973 3
1974 8
1975 8
1976 3
1977 11
1978 11
1979 10
1980 16
1981 21
1982 21
Year Number of High Court Petitions for
divorce a mensa et thoro
1973 26
1974 51
1975 43
1976 37
1977 29
1978 39
1979 34
1980 27
1981 25
1982 20
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.
Year ending
31 July
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
1979 1.935 1,493 — —
1980 2,121 1,917 — —
1981 2,708 2,225 — —
1982 2,433 2,428 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That Act was repealed by the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976, which came into operation on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. 19571
— — — — — 114 151 238 - 269 148
The Family Home Protection Act, 1976- — — — — — 83 121 242 341 139
Thc Partition Acts, 1542 to 18763 — — — — — 75 61
The Guardianship of Infants Act, 18864 — — — — —
The Family Law (Protection of Spouses and
Children) Act, 19815 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.