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Cross-Border Divorce—Sri Lankan State Practice

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Private International Law

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Abstract

The increased number of Non Resident Sri Lankans and international marriages have given rise to a host of cross-border legal problems. The current chapter discuses one of the contentious areas of Sri Lankan family law dealing with cross-border divorce. The chapter elaborates the Sri Lankan legal system to understand the different personal law applicable to questions of marriage. The paper will focus on the statutory and the judicial approach developed towards the recognition of cross border divorce under Sri Lankan legal system. The chapter will also look at the three important strands of Private International Law in the form of Jurisdiction, choice of law and enforcement of foreign judgment. The chapter will also focus on Sri Lanka’s association with Hague Conference on Private International Law in the sphere of matrimonial matters.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Hyde v Hyde [1866] Lr 1 P&D 130.

  2. 2.

    Ibid. 133.

  3. 3.

    Lakshman Marasinghe, ‘The Abeysundere Decision- Polygamy v. Bigamy: An area for reform’ (2005) 41 Meezan-Law Students’ Muslim Majlis, 94.

  4. 4.

    Ibid., 94.

  5. 5.

    Cheshire, North & Fawcett, Private International Law, (14th Edition, Oxford University Press).

  6. 6.

    Annakedde v Myappen [1932] 33 NLR 198; Thevagnana Sekeran v Kuppammal [1934] 36 NLR 337.

  7. 7.

    L.J.M. Cooray, An Introduction to the Legal System of Sri Lanka, (A Stamford lake Publication, 2009) 11.

  8. 8.

    Ibid.

  9. 9.

    Cooray (n 7) 12.

  10. 10.

    Ibid.

  11. 11.

    S.W.E. Goonesekere, The Application of the Personal Laws in Sri Lanka, (1985) FESTSCHEIFT M.C. Sansoni, 77.

  12. 12.

    L. Marasinghe & S. Scharenguivel, Compilation of Selected aspects of the Special laws of Sri Lanka (2015, Vijitha Yapa Publications) 3.

  13. 13.

    Modder, Hayley etc., Ibid., 3–4, However, it is clear that certain sections of the Sinhala population of the Maritime provinces were governed by the Dutch law, it is unlikely that the Portuguese or the Dutch actually attempted to apply in toto their own laws to the Sinhalese of the maritime Provinces. (Ralph Peiris, Cleghorn Minute, (1953) 3 Royal Asiatic Society Journal 125–152.

  14. 14.

    [1886] 8 SCC 36.

  15. 15.

    (1891) 9 S.C.C. 199.

  16. 16.

    Kapuruhamy v Appuhamy [1910] 13 NLR 321; Mudiyanse v Appuhamy [1913] 16 NLR 117, Punchihamy v Punchihamy [1915] 18 NLR 294.

  17. 17.

    Goonesekere (n 11) 86, Spencer v Rajaratnam [1913] 16 NLR 321, 322, see further, N. Selvakkumaran, ‘The applicability of Thesawalamai: Sivananalingam v Sunderalingam’ (1991) 7 Colombo LR 148.

  18. 18.

    Cooray (n 7) 143.

  19. 19.

    The Ceylon Moors (of Arab descent), the Coast Moors (of Indian descent) and the Malays who were brought to Ceylon by the Dutch and British from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Sumatra to serve as soldiers. In addition, the Borahs and the Memons also form part of the Muslim community. These communities are North Indian business communities who settled in Sri Lanka during the British period. Further see, L. Marasinghe, S. Scharenguivel, Compilation of Selected aspects of the Special laws of Sri Lanka (2015, Vijitha Yapa Publications) 255–265.

  20. 20.

    Marasinghe, Scharenguivel (n 12) 260.

  21. 21.

    There are a few Muslims who follow the Hanafi sect, as well as a very small group of Shiites from the Imamiyah School. Ibid., p. 260.

  22. 22.

    Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act No. 13 of 1951; Muslim Intestate Succession and Wakf Ordinance No. 10 of 1931, Muslim Mosques, Charitable Trusts and Wakf Act No. 51 of 1965.

  23. 23.

    Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act No 13 of 1951, Section 16 and 98(2); See Saleem Marsoof, ‘The Muslim Marriage Law Applicable in Sri Lanka’ (2006) Law College LR 33, 34.

  24. 24.

    Mangandi Umma v Lebbe Marikkar [1908] 10 NLR 1; Marikkar v Marikkar [1916] 18 NLR 446.

  25. 25.

    (n 22).

  26. 26.

    Goonesekere (n 11) 77–83.

  27. 27.

    Marriage Registration (General) Ordinance No. 19 of 1907 (Cap. 112).

  28. 28.

    S. Ponnambalam, Law and the Marriage Relationship in Sri Lanka, (2nd revised edition, Stamford lake Publication, 2011) 311.

  29. 29.

    No. 19 of 1907.

  30. 30.

    Civil Procedure Code, No. 02 of 1889 (as amended).

  31. 31.

    Muthurani v Thuraisingham [1984] 1 SLR 381.

  32. 32.

    N. Samarasundera, Women and Domestic Law and Life in Sri Lanka and the SAARC Countries (Godage International Publishers, 2011).

  33. 33.

    Ibid.

  34. 34.

    No. 44 of 1952.

  35. 35.

    (n 34) S. 32.

  36. 36.

    Ibid.

  37. 37.

    Ibid., Ss 32(2)(f), 33.

  38. 38.

    (n 23).

  39. 39.

    (n 23) S. 27.

  40. 40.

    General Marriage Ordinance Section 19, Administration of Justice (amendment) Law, Section 267(1).

  41. 41.

    Samarasundera (n 32).

  42. 42.

    Ibid.

  43. 43.

    Marasinghe (n 3) 94.

  44. 44.

    Marasinghe, Scharenguivel (n 12) 36.

  45. 45.

    KMDA (n 34) Ss 2&3.

  46. 46.

    MMDA (n 23).

  47. 47.

    Abeysundere v Abeysundere [1998] 1 Sri LR 185.

  48. 48.

    Matrimonial Rights Ordinance No. 15 of 1876.

  49. 49.

    Marasinghe (n 3) 95.

  50. 50.

    Mohammaden Marriage Registration Ordinance No. 8 of 1886.

  51. 51.

    King v Perumal [1912] 14 NLR 496 (Supreme Court of Ceylon).

  52. 52.

    Ibid. 497.

  53. 53.

    Id, 497–498.

  54. 54.

    Id, 499.

  55. 55.

    (n 47).

  56. 56.

    [1946] 1 All ER 348.

  57. 57.

    M.L. Marasinghe, ‘Polygamous Marriages and the Principle of Mutation in the Conflict of Laws’ (1978) 24 McGill LJ 394, 398.

  58. 58.

    Marasinghe (n 3) 95–96.

  59. 59.

    Prof. Lakshman Marasinghe, Abeysundere vs. Abeysundere: Monogamy, Polygamy and Bigamy – A Conundrum, The Island, 8th April 1998, 9th April 1998 and 11th April 1998.

  60. 60.

    In Attorney General v Reid (67 NLR 25) the Privy Council held that a person belonging to a non-Islam religion, converts to Islam and marries a person belonging to that faith during the subsistence of the first marriage contracted before conversion to Islam, as not guilty of bigamy.

  61. 61.

    See for example, Shahnaz v Rizwan [1965] 1 Q.B. 390 [Winn J.].

  62. 62.

    Ponnambalam (n 28) 370.

  63. 63.

    Le Mesurier v Le Mesurier [1895] A.C. 517, 539–540, 541.

  64. 64.

    Ponnambalam (n 28) 371.

  65. 65.

    Lemesurier v Le Mesurier [1895] 1 NLR 160.

  66. 66.

    Civil Procedure Code, No. 2 of 1889, S. 597.

  67. 67.

    Section 53.

  68. 68.

    Ponnambalam (n 28) 372–373.

  69. 69.

    (2 S & T 259).

  70. 70.

    Jack v Jack 24 Sess. Ca. 2nd Series 467 cited in Le Mesurier v Le Mesurier [1895] 1 NLR 160, 169.

  71. 71.

    Ponnambalam (n 28) 373.

  72. 72.

    (1872) L.R. 2 P. & M. 435.

  73. 73.

    Le Mesurier (n 65) 176; See also Case v Case 37 T.L.R 499; Wright v Wright [1903] 9 N.L.R 516.

  74. 74.

    Ponnambalam (n 28) p. 373.

  75. 75.

    Ibid., 374.

  76. 76.

    Wooldridge v Wooldridge [1945] 46 NLR 516.

  77. 77.

    [1945] 46 NLR 516.

  78. 78.

    As amended in 1940.

  79. 79.

    Ponnambalam (n 28) 375.

  80. 80.

    (1938) 40 NLR 246.

  81. 81.

    (1932) 33 NLR 198.

  82. 82.

    Ceylon Independence Act, S. 3(1).

  83. 83.

    [1994] 1 SLR 413.

  84. 84.

    Ibid.

  85. 85.

    G.C. Cheshire, Priavte international Law, (Oxford, 1947) 447; Ponnambalam (n 28) 377.

  86. 86.

    H.R. Hahlo, The South African law of husband and wife, with an appendix by Ellison Khan (Cape Town: Juta, 1975): Ponnambalam (n 28) 377.

  87. 87.

    Navaratnam v Navaratnam [1945] 46 NLR 361.

  88. 88.

    2 [L.R. 1931 Probate 29].

  89. 89.

    Asokan (n 83).

  90. 90.

    Ibid.

  91. 91.

    13 NLR 41.

  92. 92.

    (1875) ILR 1 All 51.

  93. 93.

    Lord v Colvin [1859] 4 Drew. 366, 376.

  94. 94.

    J.H.C. Morris, Conflict of Laws, (4th ed. By J.C McLean, Sweet & Maxwell, 1993) 126.

  95. 95.

    Cheshire (n 5) 155–156.

  96. 96.

    Bell v Kennedy [1868] LR 1 Sc & Div 307; Udny v. Udny [1869] L.R 1Sc. & Div.441.

  97. 97.

    Mark v Mark [2005] UKHL 42 at 37, [2006] 1 AC 98.

  98. 98.

    Cheshire (n 5) 156.

  99. 99.

    Winans v A.G [1904] AC 287; Re Fynn (No.1) [1968] 1 WLR103; IRC v Bullock [1976] 1 WLR 1178.

  100. 100.

    IRC v Duchess of Portland [1982] Ch. 314 at 318–319.

  101. 101.

    Plummer v IRC [1988] 1 AER 97, [1988] 1 WLR 292.

  102. 102.

    F.J & G. De Saram, ‘Sri Lanka- Enforcement of Money Judgments’. http://www.jurispub.com/Sri-Lanka-Enforcement-of-Money-Judgments.html, accessed 20 March 2016.

  103. 103.

    http://www.neelakandan.lk/Compendium%20of%20Law/Legal_Systems_in_Sri%20Lanka.php, accessed 01 May 2016.

  104. 104.

    Alagappa Chettiar et al. v. Palaniappa Chettiar 42 NLR 47.

  105. 105.

    Chapter XXIV of the Civil Procedure Code described the Summary Procedure and Section 384 is included in this Chapter; See, Vaitalingam v Murugesu 34 NLR 79; Shamji Gordhandas & Co. v Ramanathan & Co 20 NLR 129.

  106. 106.

    Plexus Cotton Ltd. v Dan Mukunthan CA/1865/2005 decided on 13.1.2012.

  107. 107.

    See further on the application of Section 3 of Reciprocal Ordinance, Marchant Heyworth & Swift Ltd. v Usoof [1955] 57 NLR 217; In the case of Worman & Co. v Noorbhai 15 NLR 355, the Court decided that the judgment of the foreign court is not binding on the defendant if he is not resident or domiciled in the relevant foreign court and if he did not appear in the case or submit himself to the jurisdiction of the court. A foreign court is defined in the Civil Procedure Code as a Court situate beyond the limits of, and not having authority in Ceylon (Section 5).

  108. 108.

    Lalwani v Indian Overseas Bank (1998) 3 SLR 197, further see, Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. v Prins Gunesekere (2000) 2 SLR 323.

  109. 109.

    http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca200108/20010822Private_International_Law.htm, accessed 20 March 2016.

  110. 110.

    J.H.C. Morris, The Conflict of Laws (Sweet & Maxwell Ltd. London, 2005) 187, Cheshire, North & Fawcett, Private International Law, (14th Edition, Oxford University Press).

  111. 111.

    Noor Jehan Begum v Eugene Tscenko AIR 1941 Cal 582.

  112. 112.

    Cheshire (n 5) 185.

  113. 113.

    Mark v Mark [2006] 1 AC 98.

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  1. Department of Private and Comparative Law, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka

    M. P. S. Kaushani Pathirana

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  1. Faculty Of Legal Studies, South Asian University, New Delhi, India

    Sai Ramani Garimella

  2. Faculty Of Legal Studies, South Asian University, New Delhi, India

    Stellina Jolly

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Kaushani Pathirana, M.P.S. (2017). Cross-Border Divorce—Sri Lankan State Practice. In: Garimella, S., Jolly, S. (eds) Private International Law. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3458-9_8

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