Divorced woman entrusts children to another woman

• Husband seeks guardianship of his two children by way of court order  
• District court that allowed the divorce had entrusted the two children in the care of their mother   

By D. G. Sugathapala   

A woman who divorced her husband has vested the guardianship of her two children of school going age by Power of Attorney to another woman living in the house on rent and gone abroad and her husband sought a court order through Galle police to handover the guardianship of the two children to him.   

The district court that allowed the divorce had entrusted the two children in the care of their mother.   

Meanwhile, she had gone abroad leaving the two children under the care of another woman by Power of Attorney. The father had made a complaint to the Galle police that the two children were not receiving adequate care and protection and requested for their guardianship.   

When Children and Women’s Bureau submitted a report in this regard, Galle Additional Magistrate Lakmini Vidanagamge who refused the complainant’s request held that the District Court that adjudged the divorce action has entrusted the children to the care of their mother and that the magistrate court had no power to decide otherwise.   

OIC Women and Children’s Bureau WCI A Algewatta made submissions for the complainant while Attorney at Law Rajindra Narangoda with Attorneys at Law Nirodha Pathirana and Ranjith Priyantha appeared for the children’s mother.