Relatives of inmate made liable for expenses

(1) The relatives of an inmate in any Government institution shall be liable to contribute to the cost of maintaining such inmate in accordance with this section. (2) For the purposes of this section “relative” means parent, child, husband, wife, brother or sister, whether legitimate or 33 not, and the word “parent” shall be deemed to include grandparent and great-grandparent and the word “child” grandchild and great-grandchild. (3) When a man is married to a woman who at the time of such marriage had children whether legitimate or not, such children shall be deemed to be the children of such man for the purpose of this section. (4) For the purposes of this section the term “Government institution” means any Mental Hospital, poor house, hospital, leper asylum, certified institution, maintained wholly or in part by the Government and any other institution which the Minister may declare to be a Government institution for the purpose of this section, and a person receiving any form of relief from Government Funds shall be deemed an inmate of a Government institution for the purposes of this section. (5) When directed to do so by the Minister a magistrate shall hold such inquiry as he may think proper into the means of the relatives of any inmate of a Government institution and thereafter make such order as he may think just directing the person named therein being a relative to contribute to the cost of maintaining such inmate a weekly sum of money stated in such order. (6) In making any order under subsection (5) of this section, the magistrate shall have regard to the means and nearness of kin of such relative to the inmate. (7) Where the magistrate considers it just that more than one relative should contribute to the cost of maintaining an inmate he shall make a separate order in respect of each relative so required to contribute. (8) Every such order shall be enforceable in the manner provided by section 68. 34