EXPECTED changes to divorce laws, that were set to be overhauled after a Worcestershire woman's Supreme Court battle, are now on hold due to parliament’s prorogation.
Calls for reform intensified after Tini Owens, from Broadway, lost a high profile court battle after failing to persuade a family court judge to allow her to divorce her husband of 40 years, Hugh Owens.
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Mrs Owens argued she was unhappy in her marriage, which she claimed had broken down irretrievably.
But Mrs Owens’s husband, Hugh Owens, did not agree to divorce, and the Supreme Court ruled against her, meaning she must remain married until 2020 - when the couple will have lived apart for five years. In April, it was announced the 50-year-old divorce laws would be overhauled under Government plans designed to end a “blame game” faced by couples seeking to end their marriage. The ability of a husband or wife to contest a divorce – used in under two per cent of cases – would have been scrapped under the shake-up.
But when Boris Johnson prorogued the House of Commons 12 bills going though Parliament were dropped, including the no-fault divorce bill. The bill was understood to have support across the Commons, but slow progress means prorogation has put it at risk.
Ex-Justice Secretary David Gauke, who drew up the law, said he was “disappointed” the bill had been halted.
“Divorce reform is long overdue and the bill had overwhelming support amongst the public and in Parliament,” the justice secretary said.
“I hope parliament can return to this ASAP.”
Carol Sullivan, managing director of Divorce Negotiator, added: “This is an atrocious setback for divorcing couples, who are already suffering.
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