Mental Treatment Act, 1945

PART XVII.

Recovery of Cost of Maintenance and Treatment in District Mental Hospitals.

Liability to maintain relations.

230.—(1) For the purposes of this Act and without prejudice to any obligations for the time being imposed by law otherwise than by or for the purposes of this Act, the following provisions shall have effect:—

(a) every legitimate person shall be liable to maintain his or her father and mother;

(b) every illegitimate person shall be liable to maintain his or her mother;

(c) every man shall be liable to maintain such of his legitimate children as are for the time being under the age of sixteen years;

(d) every woman shall be liable to maintain such of her children, whether legitimate or illegitimate, as are for the time being under the age of sixteen years;

(e) every married man shall be liable to maintain his wife and shall also be liable to maintain every child, whether legitimate or illegitimate, of his wife who was born before her marriage to him and is for the time being under the age of sixteen years;

(f) every married woman shall be liable to maintain her husband.

(2) Every reference in this Act to a person who is liable to maintain another person shall be construed as meaning a person who is by virtue of this section liable for the purposes of this Act to maintain such other person.