Courts seen preventing divorces

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 August 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Of the 120 divorce cases filed in the Jaffna Courts since the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) took control of the area in late 1995, only three have been concluded, said sources in Jaffna.

One of the main reasons for this is because the vital mechanism that ensured that many of these cases were settled out of courts was not in place.

Personal officers who are attached to the courts and who visit the family of prospective divorcees, reportedly are usually successful in patching up the dispute.

However, most personnel officers have left Jaffna due to the harsh living conditions there, said sources. This has rendered the possibility of compromise more remote.

Harrowing economic conditions, constant displacement and communal living in refugee camps, family problems, temporary liaisons which become permanent when living overseas, are some of the more common causes for divorce, said sources.

Though the Jaffna courts have largely ceased to function due to pressure by the shadowy Sangiliyan Force, a few cases are occasionally taken up, mostly in the chambers of judges.