NI Executive should prioritise strengthening marriage, not accelerating divorce

The Christian Institute has urged the NI Executive to strengthen marriage rather than weaken it, warning that proposals to liberalise divorce law risk undermining family stability at a time when it is most needed.

The call comes in response to a Department of Finance consultation on sweeping changes to divorce legislation, including scrapping fault-based grounds and reducing separation periods.

The Institute argues that these reforms would shift the law’s focus away from reconciliation and lifelong commitment, and instead foster a culture in which marriage is treated as disposable.

James Kennedy, Northern Ireland Policy Officer at The Christian Institute, said:

“The Executive should be working to strengthen marriage, not accelerate its breakdown. Marriage is a lifelong commitment that provides the strongest foundation for children, families, and communities. But making divorce quicker gives the impression that wedding vows no longer matter.

“Our MLAs risk sending the message that marriage is disposable, at the very moment society most needs its stability.

“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.”

Strong Marriages Matter

The Institute highlights a wealth of evidence showing that marriage provides unique and lasting benefits for both adults and children, for example:

• Children of married parents are less likely to experience poverty, ¹ behavioural issues,² or mental illness.³ They tend to achieve more in school and have stronger emotional resilience.⁴

• Married couples are healthier⁵ and wealthier.⁶ They report greater satisfaction in their relationships⁷ and contribute more actively to their communities.⁸

• Society as a whole gains when marriage is strong—from reduced pressure on social services to lower crime rates and improved economic stability.⁹

James Kennedy continued:

“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.

“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.”

The Christian Institute also stressed that the current law already allows for no-fault divorce through two- and five-year separation rules; the route taken by most couples. It argued that ‘fault grounds’ should be retained, especially for cases involving domestic abuse or adultery, noting that previous legal reviews in Northern Ireland have reached the same conclusion.

¹Family Structure Still Matters, The Centre for Social Justice, August 2020, page 9, see at https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/library/family-structure-still-matters
²Centre for Social Justice, Op cit, page 14
³Children whose families struggle to get on are more likely to have mental disorders, Office for National Statistics, 26 March 2019, see https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/childhealth/articles/childrenwhosefamiliesstruggletogetonaremorelikelytohavementaldisorders/2019-03-26 as at 19 September 2025
⁴Family Structure Still Matters, The Centre for Social Justice, August 2020, page 14
⁵Ibid, page 16
⁶Ibid, page 7
⁷Ibid, page 16
⁸Ibid, page 17
⁹‘Cost family failure 2018 update’, Relationships Foundation, 29 January 2018