VI’s child support laws very biased against men - Commentators
Commentators Richard Courtney de Castro and Julio S. Henry both stated this in their arguments on the Speak Your Mind Show aired on October 26, 2013.
“I don’t agree with the present situation where it’s left up to the person to make a complaint on the father for the father to go to the court to pay the court for child support and I don’t agree with fathers who refuse to pay child support for their own children,” de Castro stated.
According to de Castro, even though the ‘law is what the law is’ he remains of the view that in situations where the law is not clear, “we need our legislators to step in and fix the laws.”
He argued that the issue is one of governance and asked the question, “Who are we really governing?”
“It’s tough on fathers too who are trying,” Henry noted. “When you go to court, it’s almost like you’re [already] assumed to be guilty without your case even being heard or your side of the story.”
Earlier this month, another commentator, Natalio Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru explained that the issue of child support is a society-wide problem that goes beyond simply trying to put persons in jail as it is obvious that some persons are having economic hardships.
“You don’t want to just create a situation where perhaps a woman and a man are not together and the woman might be upset at him for whatever reason and tries to get him locked in jail when she knows that he is going through a difficult economic time,” Wheatley said.
Legislator Hon. Alvera Maduro Caines has also voiced her opinion on the issue on several occasions, including most recently in the last sitting of the House of Assembly.
Several calls have been made for the wages of fathers not paying child support to be garnished as opposed to imprisonment which is sometimes not seen as a deterrent.
Financial provision for children on the dissolution of a marriage is governed by the Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act, 1995 (MPPA). Sections 23, 24 and 25, give the court power to make financial provision for a child of the family keeping in mind that this power is discretionary.
In arriving at a decision the court must consider all the circumstances and pay particular attention to the factors set out in section 26 (2) including the financial needs of the child; the income, earning capacity (if any), property and other financial resources of the child; any physical or mental disability of the child; the standard of living enjoyed by the family before the breakdown of the marriage; and the manner in which he/she was being and in which the parties to the marriage expected him/her to be educated or trained.
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27 Responses to “VI’s child support laws very biased against men - Commentators”
I just wan't to know if it's even legal for someone that's not married but pregnant to be passing judgement on men for child support? Wouldn't her judgement be slightly skewed some what? I personally find it to be morally unrighteous. Don't give me wrong though, some men do need it but it does go both ways.
LOOKS LIKE HE DOESN'T GET MUCH ATTENTION AT HOME.
Question??who really incharge of this department..Do you really concern bout the child welfare or the mother pocket.Do you ever think about going around randomly to these parents home and look at situation..Do you know that a father need equal rights jus like the mother..Do you know some woman use this system to hurt ah man and end up putting the pressure on the child..all men need is justice for his God given blessings