Proposals to introduce a No Fault Divorce Bill will return to Parliament in a few months’ time it was confirmed earlier this week.
The legislation has been introduced to the House of Commons by the backbencher Richard Bacon and received its first reading last autumn.
The Bill would seek to update laws which were previously set out by the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004.
The headline measure would enable a couple to divorce or dissolve their civil partnership without giving a reason and there would be no requirement to apportion blame as part of the proceedings.
The idea – which would align Britain’s divorce process more closely with arrangements already in place in countries including Australia and Canada – has the support of a number of leading legal bodies and senior members of the judiciary.
Jo Edwards, who chairs the family law association Resolution, believes that the current system is “outdated” and drives more than a quarter of couples to make false allegations in court.
“We are pleased to see Richard Bacon’s Bill having a second reading,” she said.
“If MPs are serious about reducing family conflict and the trauma that can be caused by divorce, I would urge them to support the Bill as a welcome step towards removing the requirement of fault from divorce.”
The proposals are due to return to the Commons at some point during the next parliamentary session, which begins on May 18th.
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