Child and divorce cases:

Govt to bar open hearings

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

The Justice Ministry will take measures to solve divorce cases and child cases in a confidential manner without handling them openly in Courts as they create social problems, said Justice Minister Athauda Seneviratne.

Divorce cases in Sri Lanka increase rapidly daily due to various reasons. Children have to suffer because of this. Some couples decide to divorce due to simple reasons which they can easily solve, the Minister said. But the fact is when they go to see a lawyer, their desire for separation increases, he said.

If they go for marriage counselling, this will change as counselling can solve problems peacefully, said the Minister.

He said that the Ministry will also establish more children's Courts to handle child cases in a friendly manner using simple language which is suitable for them.

If a child has to testify openly in a Court the child could lose self confidence. It could be a platform in creating dissidents or criminal elements, Minister Seneviratne said.