Opinion ID: 1649440
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Application of the UCCJA in the International Context

Text: Dr. Bakhaty argues that the trial court erred when it found that no other state would have jurisdiction in accordance with La.Rev.Stat. § 13:1702(A)(1), (2), or (3). Dr. Bakhaty asserts that the court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to adjudicate the custody of Ahmed under the UCCJA because Egypt is both the home state and the state with significant connections to Ahmed, and the UCCJA requires recognition of foreign states like those of sister states in the U.S. Dr. Bakhaty bases this argument on La. Rev.Stat. § 13:1722, which provides: The general policies of this Part extend to the international area. The provisions of this Part relating to the recognition and enforcement of custody decrees of other states apply to custody decrees and decrees involving legal institutions similar in nature to custody institutions rendered by appropriate authorities of other nations if reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard were given to all affected persons. We agree with Dr. Bakhaty's argument that the above statutory language allows the trial court to consider a foreign nation to be a state. However, it does not follow that the statutory language mandates recognition of a foreign jurisdiction as a state for purposes of determining jurisdiction without regard to the best interest of the child. In this case, the trial court recognized its authority to treat Egypt as a state, but concluded that recognition was not mandated under the UCCJA, and refused to decline jurisdiction on that basis. We find no error in that legal conclusion. A court in its discretion may find that a foreign country is a state under the UCCJA, and whether or not it will depends on the facts and circumstances of each particular case. Our review of prior cases in Louisiana supports this conclusion. In McFaull v. McFaull, 560 So.2d 1013 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1990), the Fourth Circuit recognized that the UCCJA applied to the international area in a case involving the Soviet Union, but ultimately found jurisdiction in Orleans Parish under the UCCJA. In Gay v. Morrison, 511 So.2d 1173 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1987), the Fourth Circuit concluded that Brazil could be considered a state under the UCCJA because the mother willingly consented to jurisdiction there in the original custody decree. Id. at 1176. A review of other jurisdictions shows that, in most instances, a court's decision whether to consider a foreign nation as a state was a discretionary one. See Ivaldi v. Ivaldi, 147 N.J. 190, 685 A.2d 1319, 1325 (1996) (listing cases from various states that applied home state jurisdiction to a foreign nation). [12] In exercising that discretion, the courts' recognition of foreign courts generally turned on the following issues: (1) whether the child custody laws of the foreign jurisdiction and those of the United States were similar, particularly in light of considering the best interests of the child; [13] (2) whether foreign custody decrees existed prior to initiating any proceedings in the reviewing court; [14] (3) whether any of the parties were U.S. citizens; [15] and (4) whether the parties received adequate notice and a chance to be heard in the foreign forum. [16] Cases from other jurisdictions that involve Islamic family law in applying the UCCJA fell on both sides of the equation. See Hosain v. Malik, 108 Md.App. 284, 671 A.2d 988 (Md.1996) (recognizing a Pakistani custody decree); Malak v. Malak, 182 Cal.App.3d 1018, 227 Cal.Rptr. 841 (1986) (recognizing a Lebanese decree); but see Noordin v. Abdulla, 88 Wash.App. 746, 947 P.2d 745 (1997) (refusing to recognize a decree in the Philippines); Ali v. Ali, 279 N.J.Super. 154, 652 A.2d 253 (Sup.Ct.1994) (refusing to recognize a Palestinian decree). While the factual circumstances differed in each case, a general principle pervaded: the court would recognize a foreign Islamic state if it found that the foreign jurisdiction applied the best interests of the child in its application of their child custody laws. See Hosain, 671 A.2d at 1000-06; Ali, 279 N.J.Super. at 167-69, 652 A.2d 253; see also Monica E. Henderson, Note, U.S. State Court Review of Islamic Law Custody DecreesWhen Are Islamic Custody Decrees In The Child's Best Interest, 36 J. Fam. L. 423 (1997) (arguing that the international provision of the UCCJA involves ensuring not only that the foreign court provides adequate procedural due process but also applies substantive standards that consider the best interest of the child). In this case, the trial court declined to recognize Egypt as a state for purposes of determining jurisdiction based on the fundamental differences between Egypt's child custody laws and Louisiana's child custody laws. In Louisiana, custody in all cases will be determined by a court in the best interest of the child. See La. Civ. Code art. 131; Evans v. Lungrin, 97-0541 (La.2/6/98), 708 So.2d 731. The trial court found that custody laws in Egypt follow strict guidelines, irrespective of the best interest of the child. [17] According to Dr. Bakhaty's expert, Ms. Aby, Egypt follows Islamic family law, which structures some of the rights between family members based solely on gender. Under the Egyptian concept of guardianship, the father has the absolute right to the guardianship and the physical custody of the minor child. While physical custody of a young child would generally be with the mother, guardianship or right of control always stays with the father. After a divorce, the mother's physical custody of the child will generally only be allowed if the father with guardianship lives nearby and could continue to exercise control, including the right to choose the habitual residence of the child. Dr. Bakhaty's affidavit when he petitioned for a civil warrant confirmed this structure in Islamic law, stating that by operation of Egyptian law, both the temporary guardianship and physical custody of Ahmed rested exclusively with him. An attached translation of an Egyptian Civil Code provision attached to the petition stated that the right to custody goes to the father, then to the grandfather in case a guardian was not appointed by the father. Further, Ms. Aby confirmed Ms. Amin's deposition testimony that under Islamic law, the husband could pronounce a divorce merely by verbal proclamation. [18] Civil effect would be given to the declaration simply by having it notarized and served on the wife or her representative. Once served, the wife may raise certain limited issues with the court, but only if she had reserved her right to do so in her original marriage contract. Based on Ms. Aby's review of the marriage contract between Dr. Bakhaty and Ms. Amin, no such rights were reserved. In addition to finding the Egyptian laws different from those in Louisiana, the trial court further found that no prior custody decree was pending when Ms. Amin filed her first petition for divorce, custody, and support in Louisiana. The UCCJA provides a discretionary basis for declining jurisdiction when another jurisdiction has commenced simultaneous proceedings. See La.Rev.Stat. § 13:1705(A); see Ivaldi, 685 A.2d at 1326 (finding New Jersey to be the child's home state but remanding to determine whether Morocco was more convenient forum). Dr. Bakhaty only initiated custody proceedings in Egypt after determining that Ms. Amin and Ahmed left Egypt without his permission, which is apparently a crime in that jurisdiction. Moreover, the trial court made clear that the unique circumstances of this case required more consideration for the best interest of this child than for the extension of comity toward the Egyptian/Islamic legal system. Ahmed had never spent one night of his life away from his mother. In contrast, Dr. Bakhaty spent at most twelve weeks a year in Egypt, with the majority of that time spent in a hotel, his mother's home, or seeing patients. In addition, Dr. Bakhaty refused to visit for almost two years of his son's life during a period of marital discord. If Dr. Bakhaty were to gain custody of Ahmed, he intends to send or take him back to Egypt immediately. However, Dr. Bakhaty has lived in the United States virtually all of his adult life; he became a citizen in 1989, and his medical practice is in New York. As the trial court noted, because of the criminal convictions against Ms. Amin, she either could never return to Egypt or would be imprisoned upon her return. It appears likely that Ahmed would be deprived of his relationship with the parent who raised him, and possibly both parents, if Dr. Bakhaty continues to spend the majority of his time in New Jersey as he has in the past. On the other hand, if Ms. Amin has custody, she intends to stay in the United States. Given Dr. Bakhaty's United States citizenship and longtime residence in this country, he would not be deprived of the opportunity to visit with Ahmed. Despite these factual findings by the trial court, Dr. Bakhaty argues that the trial court should decline jurisdiction because custody proceedings are ongoing in Egypt, where Ms. Amin is represented by counsel, and thus, has adequate opportunity to be heard as required by La.Rev.Stat. § 13:1722. We find this argument disingenuous considering that she is faced with a potential three year prison term upon her return to Egypt, based on Dr. Bakhaty's initiation of misdemeanor charges. This fact alone distinguishes this case from those in which the spouse merely refused to return to the foreign jurisdiction, with the resultant negative consequence of losing custody. See, e.g., Malak, 227 Cal. Rptr. at 846; Hosain, 671 A.2d at 1000. Although Egypt is arguably Ahmed's home state by the six month statutory clock, it was within the trial court's discretion whether to defer the matter to the Egyptian legal system. Considering the circumstances, we cannot say the trial court abused its discretion in not deferring this matter to Egyptian courts, because those courts are not mandated to consider Ahmed's best interest as paramount.