Hello members,
I’m currently involved in a guardianship/visitation case and am seeking guidance on enforcing court-ordered visitation, particularly in a situation involving malicious parental alienation. I have a few specific questions:
1. Can a Family Court initiate contempt proceedings for disobedience of its own orders, or must contempt be filed in the High Court under the Contempt of Courts Act?
2. In cases where one parent engages in parental alienation—for example, influencing the child to refuse visitation or emotionally distancing the child from the other parent—can this be treated as contempt of court if it results in violation of visitation orders?
3. If the other parent files false allegations under CPC Section 151 to get the visitation orders withdrawn, with the intent of obstructing implementation, can this be considered contempt?
4. Procedurally, is it better to:
File a separate contempt petition, or
File it as an interim application in the ongoing guardianship case under the Contempt of Courts Act?
5. In such matters, which forum is better to approach for contempt enforcement — Family Court or High Court?
6. If I don’t want to file a contempt petition, and also wish to avoid police involvement (as the issue involves psychological manipulation, not direct denial of access), what other court-based steps can I take to ensure strict compliance with the visitation orders?
