Australian Capital Territory
Married Persons (Torts) Act 1968
A1968-15
Republication No 1 (RI)
Effective:  28 December 1978 – 11 September 2001
Republication date of printed version: 30 June 1991
Reissued electronically: 1 April 2009
Last amendment made by A1978-46

Unauthorised version prepared by ACT Parliamentary Counsel’s Office

About this republication
The republished law
This is a republication of the Married Persons (Torts) Act 1968 effective 28 December 1978 to 11 September 2001.  
Kinds of republications
The Parliamentary Counsel’s Office prepares 2 kinds of republications of ACT laws (see the ACT legislation register at www.legislation.act.gov.au):
•	authorised republications to which the Legislation Act 2001 applies
•	unauthorised republications.
The status of this republication appears on the bottom of each page.

Australian Capital Territory

married persons (torts) act 1968
This consolidation has been prepared by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel’s Office
Reprinted as at 30 June 1991
TABLE OF PROVISIONS
Section
Short title
Commencement
Actions in tort by one spouse against the other
Actions in tort by a former spouse against the other
Application
Questions between spouses as to property may be decided in a summary way

An Act to make provision with respect to rights of action in tort between married persons, and for purposes connected therewith
Short title
1.  This Act may be cited as the Married Persons (Torts) Act 1968.1
Commencement
2.  This Act shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by the Minister of State for the Interior by notice published in the Gazette.1
Actions in tort by one spouse against the other
4.  Subject to section 6 of this Act, a party to a marriage has, after the commencement of this Act, the like rights of action in tort against the other party to the marriage as he would have had if the parties were not married to each other.
Actions in tort by a former spouse against the other
5.  Subject to the next succeeding section, a person who was a party to a marriage that has been dissolved or annulled has, after the commencement of this Act, the like rights of action in tort against the person who was the other party to the marriage as he would have had if the parties had never been married to each other.
Application
6.  The last two preceding sections do not apply to or in relation to a cause of action that arose, or would, but for the subsistence of a marriage, have arisen, before the commencement of this Act.
Questions between spouses as to property may be decided in a summary way
7.  This Act shall not be taken to affect the operation of section 22 of the Married Women’s Property Act, 1901, of the State of New South Wales in its application to the Territory.

NOTE
1.	The Married Persons (Torts) Act 1968 as shown in this reprint comprises Act No. 15, 1968 amended as indicated in the Tables below.
	Citation of Laws—The Self-Government (Citation of Laws) Act 1989  (No. 21, 1989) altered the citation of most Ordinances so that after Self-Government day they are to be cited as Acts.  That Act also affects references in ACT laws to Commonwealth Acts.
Table of Ordinances
Ordinance	Number  
and year	Date of 
notification 
in Gazette	Date of 
commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions	

Married Persons (Torts) Ordinance 1968	15, 1968	22 Aug 1968	1 Dec 1968 (see Gazette 1968, 
p. 6880)		
Ordinances Revision Ordinance 1978
	46, 1978	28 Dec 1978	28 Dec 1978	—	
Table of Amendments
ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended     rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision	How affected

S. 3	rep. No. 46, 1978

©  Australian Capital Territory 2009