Amendment No. 2 of 2020

The Family Justice Courts Practice Directions will be amended as follows with effect from 1 July 2020: -

1. the following new paragraph 8A will be inserted after paragraph 8:
   Paragraph 8A
2. the following new paragraph 11(2A) will be inserted after paragraph 11(2):
   Paragraph 11(2A)
3. the following new paragraph 24A will be inserted after paragraph 24:
   Paragraph 24A
4. the existing Forms 37, 38, 40, 42, 43 and 64A to 64F will be deleted and replaced with the following new forms:
   Form 37
   Form 38
   Form 40
   Form 42
   Form 43
   Form 64A
   Form 64B
   Form 64C
   Form 64D
   Form 64E
   Form 64F
5. the following new Forms 45A to 45E will be inserted after Form 45:
   Form 45A
   Form 45B
   Form 45C
   Form 45D
   Form 45E
6. the following new Form 188A will be inserted after Form 188:
   Form 188A
7. the following new Form 207 will be inserted after Form 206:
   Form 207
8. the existing Form 243 will be deleted and replaced with the following new form:
   Form 243

The amendments in 1 to 6 set out the procedure on the parenting coordination programme following the insertion of Rule 34C of the Family Justice Rules.

The amendments in 2 clarify that the Court will direct parties to attend private mediation for applications filed pursuant to the International Child Abduction Act (Cap. 143C).

The amendments in 3 to 7 set out the procedure related to the prior written consent of a
party to accept service of summonses filed pursuant to Sections 71 and 72 of the Women’s Charter (Cap 353) electronically, following the insertion of Rule 131A(5)(a) of the Family Justice Rules.

The amendments in 4 are consequential to the naming change to the designation of “Director of Social Welfare” to “Director-General of Social Welfare” or “Director-General” which was passed in the Children and Young Persons (Amendment) Bill and Rules 133(1)(a), 136(3), 138(2), 184(5)(b)(i) and (iii), 295R(1)(e), (3) and (4) and item 8 of Part 6A of the Fifth Schedule of the Family Justice Rules.

The amendments in 5 introduce the Forms referred to in the new Rules 148A and 148D of the Family Justice Rules related to Youth Court matters.

The amendment in 8 provides an updated version of the Joint Summary Form as prescribed at paragraph 86 (5b) of these Practice Directions, which may be directed for cases where the contested ancillary matters include the division of matrimonial assets.