Sutton v. Sodhi, (1989) 94 N.S.R.(2d) 126 (FC)

• Case Date: November 24, 1988
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: (1989), 94 N.S.R.(2d) 126 (FC)

Sutton v. Sodhi (1989), 94 N.S.R.(2d) 126 (FC);

    247 A.P.R. 126

MLB headnote and full text

Christine Ella Sutton (applicant) v. Gurdhwant Sodhi (respondent)

(F.T. No. 88-182)

Indexed As: Sutton v. Sodhi

Nova Scotia Family Court

Sparks, J.F.C.

January 30, 1989.

Summary:

A mother applied for custody of her daughter in Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia Family Court dismissed the application and declined jurisdiction, because the matter could better be dealt with in Ontario, where the mother, father and child had lived.

Family Law - Topic 2120

Custody - Jurisdiction - Founded on residence of child - A woman native to Nova Scotia lived with a man in Ontario and had a daughter by him - Unhappy, she took the child at two years of age to Nova Scotia and did not return - She applied for custody in Nova Scotia - The Nova Scotia Family Court declined jurisdiction notwithstanding the presence in Nova Scotia of the child, because the child's ordinary residence and the forum conveniens was Ontario - However, to avoid too much travel for the child, the court ordered that she remain in Nova Scotia until the custody application in Ontario was resolved.

Cases Noticed:

Caudle v. Caudle (1983), 60 N.S.R.(2d) 11; 128 A.P.R. 11 (F.C.), consd. [para. 14].

Burton v. Burton (1986), 74 N.S.R.(2d) 339; 180 A.P.R. 339, consd. [para. 15].

Hjorleifson v. Gooch (1986), 20 R.F.L. (3d) 382 (N.S.C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

Prosser v. Jones (1972), 7 R.F.L. 150 (Man. Q.B.), refd to. [para. 16].

Wong v. Wong (1985), 44 R.F.L.(2d) 82 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 16].

Burgess v. Burgess (1977), 19 N.S.R.(2d) 689; 24 A.P.R. 689 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

Lor v. Lor (1978), 25 N.S.R.(2d) 243; 36 A.P.R. 243; 5 R.F.L.(2d) 138 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

Blois v. Blois (1988), 83 N.S.R.(2d) 328; 210 A.P.R. 328, consd. [para. 18].

Doerksen v. Welgush, 39 R.F.L.(2d) 151, refd to. [para. 20].

Martocq v. Martocq, 3 R.F.L.(3d) 381, consd. [para. 21].

McKee v. McKee, [1950] S.C.R. 700, refd to. [para. 22].

H (Infants), Re, [1966] 1 All E.R. 886, refd to. [para. 22].

P. (G.E.)(An Infant), Re, [1965] 1 Ch. 568 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 22].

Mintz v. Mintz (1979), 33 N.S.R.(2d) 585; 57 A.P.R. 585, refd to. [para. 26].

Chenkie v. Chenkie (1987), 76 A.R. 224; 6 R.F.L.(3d) 370 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 26].

Naylen v. Naylen (1987), 6 R.F.L.(3d) 350 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 26].

Charmasson v. Charmasson (1981), 34 O.R.(2d) 498 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 26].

Nielsen v. Nielsen, 5 R.F.L. 313 (Ont. S.C.), refd to. [para. 26].

Authors and Works Noticed:

da Costa, Studies in Canadian Family Law, vol. 2, pp. 557-558 [para. 12].

MacLeod, James G., Doerksen v. Welgush Annotation, 39 R.F.L.(2d) 151 [para. 20].

Counsel:

Malcolm Jeffcock, for the applicant;

Donald Murray, for the respondent.

This case was heard on October 21 and November 24, 1988, and January 24, 1989, before Sparks, J.F.C., of the Nova Scotia Family Court, who delivered the following judgment on January 30, 1989: