Married Women's Status Act, 1957

Criminal proceedings for protection of property of married persons.

9.—(1) Subject to subsection (3), every married woman shall have in her own name against all persons whomsoever, including her husband, the same remedies and redress by way of criminal proceedings for the protection and security of her property as if she were unmarried.

(2) Subject to subsection (3), a husband shall have against his wife the same remedies and redress by way of criminal proceedings for the protection and security of his property as if she were not his wife.

(3) No criminal proceedings concerning any property claimed by one spouse (in this subsection referred to as the claimant) shall, by virtue of subsection (1) or subsection (2), be taken by the claimant against the other spouse while they are living together, nor, while they are living apart, concerning any act done while living together by the other spouse, unless such property was wrongfully taken by the other spouse when leaving or deserting or about to leave or desert the claimant.

(4) In any criminal proceedings to which this section relates brought against one spouse, the other spouse may, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any enactment or rule of law, be called as a witness either for the prosecution or defence and without the consent of the person charged.

(5) In any indictment or process grounding criminal proceedings in relation to the property of a married woman, it shall be sufficient to allege the property to be her property.