DIVORCE LAW
REFORM IN BRITAIN. INITIATIVE AND PERSISTENCE. THE REMOVAL OF HARDSHIP. (Official Wireless.) (Received July 26, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, July 25. All the morning papers publish editorial comment on the passing of the Matrimonial Causes Bill. The Daily Hi raid Bays: "Mr A. P. Herbert joins the select hand of back benches who have by their own initiative and persistence secured the passing of really important legislation.” The Manchester Guardian considers it strange that such legislation should have been left by the Government to the initiative of a private member, and thinks it not Impossible that amending legislation may have to be undertaken by the Government Itself in the not far distant future. An assurance of this character was given by the Solicitor-General in the final debate in the House of Commons yesterday.
The Morning Post says there is nothing in the Bill "to encourage divorce or make it easier for the reckless and light-minded. There is nothing to derogate from the dignity qnd seriousness of marriage, but there is something to abate admitted and uncommon causes of almost intolerable hardship in the present law.”
The effect of the measure will be to add to adultery, formerly the sole ground for divorce, the additional grounds of desertion, cruelty or incurable insanity. A feature of the bill is that the first clause, which provides that no petition for divorce may be made within a given period after marriage, fixed originally at five years, was reduced by the Lords to three years. This was approved by the Commons to-day with discretion given to the Courts to accept a petition sooner in cases of exceptional hardship or depravity. Tlie hill was 18 months in Its passage through Parliament and Mr A. I*. Herbert ami its other sponsors were the recipients of many congratulations.
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Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20255, 26 July 1937, Page 7
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301DIVORCE LAW Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20255, 26 July 1937, Page 7
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