Cap. 12 Art. 32BFamily Court.

(1) One (1) judge shall preside over the Family Court.

(2) There shall be assigned to the Family Court such causes of a civil nature which are related to:

(a) Titles I, II and IV of Book First of the Civil

Code;

(b) the Maintenance Orders (Facilities for

Enforcement) Ordinance;

(c) the Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal

Enforcement) Act;

(d) the Marriage Act; and

(e) the Child Abduction and Custody Act.

(3) The Minister responsible for justice may by regulations provide for:

(a) any reference in a law or regulations to the "Civil Court (Family Section)" or other words referring to the same section of the Civil Court to be substituted by the words "Family Court";

(b) causes which relate to the family and which are not included in sub-article (2) to be assigned for hearing by the Family Court;

(c) the Family Court to have jurisdiction to hear and determine causes of a criminal nature the subject matter of which shall be a criminal offence consisting of a contravention related to a civil law matter being heard before that court.

(4) After the date of the coming into force of this article and on such date as the Minister responsible for justice may by order in the Gazette establish, all causes assigned to be heard by the Civil Court (Family Section) shall be assigned to the Family Court provided that the function of the Family Court in causes falling within the jurisdiction of the Courts of Gozo shall, unless the Minister responsible for justice by regulations establishes otherwise, continue to be fulfilled by the Court of Magistrates (Gozo) (Superior Jurisdiction) (Family Section).