Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1975 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 4 · Miscellaneous Provisions
14. Obtaining of evidence needed for purpose of certain proceedings
Feedback & supportWhere, for the purpose of any proceedings in a court in a reciprocating country relating to a maintenance order to which this Act applies, a request is made by or on behalf of that court for the taking in Singapore of the evidence of a person residing in Singapore relating to matters specified in the request, such court in Singapore as may be prescribed has power to take that evidence and, after giving notice of the time and place at which the evidence is to be taken to such persons and in such manner as it thinks fit, is to take the evidence in such manner as may be prescribed.
court
“court” includes any tribunal or person having power to make, confirm, enforce, vary or revoke a maintenance order that is enforceable by a civil court of competent jurisdiction;
Evidence taken in compliance with such a request must be sent in the prescribed manner by the prescribed officer of the court to the court in the reciprocating country by or on behalf of which the request was made.
reciprocating country
“reciprocating country” has the meaning given by section 17;
Where any person, not being the payer or the payee under the maintenance order to which the proceedings in question relate, is required by virtue of this section to give evidence before a court in Singapore, the court may order that there must be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament such sums as appear to the court reasonably sufficient to compensate that person for the expense, trouble or loss of time properly incurred in or incidental to that person’s attendance.
payer
“payer”, in relation to a maintenance order, means the person liable to make payments under the order;
A court in Singapore may, for the purpose of any proceedings in that court under this Act relating to a maintenance order to which this Act applies, request a court in a reciprocating country to take or provide evidence relating to such matters as may be specified in the request and may remit the case to that court for that purpose.
maintenance order
“maintenance order” means an order (however described) of the following descriptions:(a)an order (including an affiliation order or order consequent upon an affiliation order) which provides for the payment of a lump sum or the making of periodical payments —(i)by a man towards the maintenance of his wife or former wife; or(ii)by a person towards the maintenance of the person’s child; and(b)an affiliation order or order consequent upon an affiliation order, being an order which provides for the payment by a person adjudged, found or declared to be a child’s father of expenses incidental to the child’s birth or, where the child had died, of the child’s funeral expenses,and in the case of a maintenance order which has been varied, means that order as varied;