Divorce Reform Act 1969

The Divorce Reform Act 1969 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. The Act reformed the law on divorce by enabling couples to divorce after they had been separated for two years if they both desired a divorce, or five years if only one wanted a divorce.[1][2] People could end marriages that had "irretrievably broken down" and neither partner had to prove "fault".[3] It was approved on 22 October 1969 and became law when it received Royal Assent on 1 January 1971.[3]

For the main article, see Divorce in England and Wales.
Divorce Reform Act 1969
Introduced byLabour Government
Dates
Royal assent1 January 1971
Text of statute as originally enacted

The law built on the Matrimonial Causes Act 1857, which allowed people to divorce without an Act of Parliament where there had been adultery and cruelty, rape, bestiality or incest, and the Matrimonial Causes Act 1937, which extended the eligible grounds for divorce to include cruelty, incurable insanity and desertion (of three years or more).[4]

The Act was passed only after lengthy and complex processes of negotiation, including a Royal Commission, discussion and eventual backing for the "irretrievable breakdown concept" amongst a group convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, consideration by the Law Commission, and debate in Parliament.[5]

References
  1. "A brief history of divorce". The Guardian. 2009-09-18. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
  2. Coast, Ernestina; Floridi, Ginevra; Sigle, Wendy. "Divorce Reform Act 1969". Population Europe Resource Finder and Archive. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
  3. "Divorce Reform Act 1969". BBC News. 2011-02-10. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
  4. "Wedlock or deadlock". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
  5. Cretney, Stephen (2005-01-27). Irretrievable Breakdown as the Ground for Divorce: The Divorce Reform Act 1969. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199280919.001.0001/acprof-9780199280919-chapter-9. ISBN 9780191713170.
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