Institute: ‘NI should foster culture of marriage instead of liberalising divorce’

Northern Ireland should be encouraging marriage rather than accelerating family breakdown, The Christian Institute has warned.

Responding to the Department of Finance’s consultation on divorce law, the Institute argued that removing fault-based grounds and reducing separation periods would shift the focus from reconciliation to a society where marriage is considered disposable.

The Department has claimed that the divorce process would be less “stressful” and “challenging” under a ‘no-fault’ system similar to the one in England and Wales, but the Institute noted that ‘fault grounds’ are especially important for cases involving domestic abuse and adultery.

‘Hastening breakdown’

James Kennedy, Northern Ireland Policy Officer at The Christian Institute, stated: “When families are stable, children are more secure, outcomes improve, and communities flourish. The Government should be investing in policies that promote marriage, rather than hasten its breakdown.”

“If the law makes it easier to walk away, more people will walk away. Instead, wherever possible we should be encouraging couples to work through difficulties and offering support to help marriages recover and grow.”

He emphasised: “This is about more than legal process, it’s about what kind of society we want to be. If we want to build a culture that values commitment, responsibility, and long-term care, we need laws that uphold those ideals, not weaken them.”

Quickie divorce

Since 2022, under England and Wales’ Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act, couples can divorce in six months and a spouse cannot contest the decision — options now being considered by the Province’s Department of Finance.

Previously, anyone wanting to divorce their spouse had to prove their marriage had irretrievably broken down through either adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion, or separation for two years with their spouse’s consent, or five years without – protections that remain in place in Northern Ireland.