Family law organisation Resolution has repeated its long-standing call for the introduction of no fault divorce at its National Conference in Bristol.
Members highlighted the imminent arrival at the Supreme Court of the much-discussed Owens v Owens case, in which the eponymous Mrs Owens was refused a divorce on the grounds that she had failed to prove her husband had “behaved in such a way that [she] cannot reasonably be expected to live with [him]”, a condition for divorce defined by the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.
After an unexpected defeat at the Court of Appeal, the case will be heard by the Supreme Court on May 17.
Resolution National Chair Margaret Heathcote said the case illustrated the urgent need for divorce law reform and the introduction of a no fault system:
“It is ridiculous that, in the twenty-first century, Mrs Owens has had to go to the highest court in the land in order to try to get her divorce. Resolution will be at the Supreme Court next month as interveners, showing our support for Mrs Owens and countless others like her who are either trapped in a loveless marriage and unable to get on with their lives; or forced to assign blame in order to do so. It’s outdated, it’s unfair and it’s time for things to change.”
The Resolution National Conference runs until tomorrow (21 April).
