Women’s Charter 1961 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 10
126B. Enforcement of child access order
Last amended by an amending law of 2024. 3 amendments in all.
Official textFrom Singapore Statutes Online, unchanged
This section applies where —
the court makes an order under section 126 (called in this section the access order) giving a person (X) access to a child; and
the order is breached by the person (Y) who is required by the order to give X access to the child.
X may apply to the court to enforce the access order against Y.
Without limiting any other power of the court, the court may do all or any of the following in an application under subsection (2):
order Y to give X additional access to the child to make up for the access denied to X as a result of the breach;
order Y to compensate X for any reasonable expenses incurred by X as a result of the breach;
order X, Y and the child (or any of them) to attend all or any of the following:
counselling;
mediation;
a therapeutic or an educational programme specified by the court;
a family support programme as defined in section 139A;
order Y to execute a bond, with or without sureties or security, as the court may determine, to secure Y’s future compliance with the access order;
for every breach of the access order by Y, sentence Y to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
To avoid doubt, an order under subsection (3)(a) must not give X more access than what X is entitled to under the access order.
The court may, in making any order under subsection (3)(a), (b), (c) or (d) in respect of a breach of the access order —
reserve the question whether Y should also be sentenced under subsection (3)(e) for that breach; and
return to the question subsequently (without X having to make a fresh application).
In respect of a breach of an access order, X may do either, but not both, of the following:
make an application under subsection (2);
bring proceedings to punish Y for contempt of court in respect of that breach.
Despite section 47(1) of the Family Justice Act 2014, an access order made by the General Division of the High Court (whether before, on or after 1 October 2014) may be enforced by a Family Court in accordance with this section as if the access order had been made by the Family Court, except that a Family Court has no power to vary an order of the General Division of the High Court.
Terms defined in this Act
child
Defined · s 122“child” means a child of the marriage as defined in section 92 but who is below 21 years of age.
family support programme
Defined · s 139A“family support programme” means any programme or activity that seeks to address or resolve any relationship issue or relationship problem —(a)between spouses or former spouses;(b)between siblings; or(c)between parent and child;
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Part 10A
Amicable Settlement of Disputes
Part 10B
Court’S Power to Set Aside and Prevent Dispositions Intended to Defeat Maintenance Claims or Other Orders in Matrimonial Proceedings
Part 10C
Replacement Because of Death
Part 11
Offences Against Women and Girls
Part 12