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Last updated: 17 November 2005
Divorce waiting times
Update

Plans to liberalise Scottish divorce law have been watered down by the Scottish Parliament’s Justice 1 Committee. On 2nd November the Committee rejected proposals in the Family Law ( Scotland) Bill to reduce waiting times for ‘no fault’ divorce from two years' separation to one if both spouses agree and from five years' separation to two where one spouse does not. Instead, the Committee passed amendments for eighteen months where both spouses agree and three years when one does not. The plans will next be debated by the whole Parliament at Stage 3 of the Bill on 15th December.

Justice 1 Committee Voting Details

Those who wanted divorce waiting periods of
18 months and 3 years:
  • McFee, Mr Bruce (West of Scotland) (SNP)
  • Mitchell, Margaret (Central Scotland) (CON)
  • Mulligan, Mrs Mary (Linlithgow) (Lab)
  • Stevenson Stewart (Banff and Buchan) (SNP)
Those who wanted divorce waiting periods of
1 year and 2 years:
  • Glen, Marlyn (North East Scotland) (Lab)
  • McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab)
  • Wallace, Mr Jim (Orkney) (LD)
Resources:
 

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