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 112

"Court."

D. C. Code 11752.

Personnel.

PUBLIC LAW 486-APR. 11, 1956

[70 S T A T.

mestic Relations Branch of the Municipal Court for the District of Columbia created by this Act; (b) "Court" means the Municipal Court for the District of Columbia and the several judges thereof. SEC. 103. (a) ADDITIONAL JUDGES.—The first section of the Act entitled "An Act to authorize the appointment of three additional judges of the municipal court for the District of Columbia and to prescribe the qualifications of appointees to the municipal court and the municipal court of appeals, and for other purposes", approved October 25, 1949 (63 Stat. 887), is hereby amended by striking therefrom "thirteen" and inserting in lieu thereof "sixteen". (b) The judges appointed to the additional positions authorized by the amendments set forth in subsection (a) of this section shall during their tenures of office serve as judges of the Domestic Relations Branch, but the chief judge of the court may, if he finds the work in the Domestic Relations Branch will not be adversely affected thereby assign any of said judges of the Domestic Relations Branch to perform the duties of any other judge of the court. The chief judge of the court shall also have the authority to assign any of the other judges of the court to serve temporarily in the Domestic Relations Branch if, in the opinion of the said chief judge, the work of the Domestic Relations Branch requires such assignment. SEC. 104. The Judges of the Domestic Relations Branch, with the approval of the chief judge of the court, shall have authority to appoint and remove a clerk and such other personnel as may be necessary for the operation of the branch. SEC.

105. JURISDICTION OF DOMESTIC RELATIONS BRANCH.—The

Domestic Relations Branch and each judge sitting therein shall have exclusive jurisdiction over all actions for divorce from the bond of marriage and legal separation from bed and board, including proceedings incidental to such actions for alimony, pendente lite and permanent, and for support and custody of minor children; applications for revocation of divorce from bed and board; civil actions to enforce support of minor children; civil actions to enforce support of wife; actions seeking custody of minor children; actions to declare marriages void; actions to declare marriages valid; actions for annulments of marriage; and proceedings in adoption. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to divest the United States District Court for the District of Columbia of jurisdiction and power to consider, and to enter and enforce judgments, orders, and decrees in any such action, application or proceeding filed in such court prior to the effective date of this section to the same extent as if this Act had not been enacted. SEC. 106. (a) DOMESTIC RELATIONS BRANCH VESTED W I T H POWER To EFFECTUATE PURPOSES OF ACT.—The Domestic Relations Branch

is hereby vested with so much of the power as is now vested in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, whether in law or in equity, as is necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Act, including but not limited to, the power to issue restraining orders, injunctions, writs of habeas corpus, and ne exeat, and all other writs, orders, and decrees. (b) The Domestic Relations Branch shall have the same power to enforce and execute judgments, orders, and decrees entered by it as is now vested in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Judgments of the branch shall have the same legal status as liens upon real estate as judgments of tlje United States District Court for the District of Columbia. SEC. 107.

(a)

AMENDMENTS OF STATUTES.—Section 963 of the

Act

approved March 3, 1901 (31 Stat. 1345, ch. 845), as amended by the Act approved June 21, 1949 (63 Stat. 215, ch. 233; sec. 16-416, D. C. Code, 1951 edition), is amended by striking therefrom "United States

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