Marital dispute counselling call

Press, 28 May 1979, Page 12

Marital dispute counselling call

PA Wellington Changes in the law dealing with marriage disputes should put greater emphasis on counselling, so that couples might resolve their problems outside the courts, according to the Minister of lustice (Mr McLay). “In many respects the law is an inadequate instrument for solving problems that are essentially human and emotional rather than legal.” Mr McLay told Parliament during the Address-in-Reply debate on Thursday evening. “Thus a role exists for counsellors and a place exists for law that encourages the parties to discuss and resolve their problems and disputes,” he said. Mr McLay said that lawyers had to reassess the role

i they played on behalf of their clients in a matrimonial dis- ; pute. “They must recognise that, i at least in the early stages ; of such a dispute, an adversary approach has little or no , place,” he said. Mr McLay said that he would announce fairly soon the Government’s proposals for implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Courts. From those proposals he hoped that legislation could be introduced in Parliament this year as a first step towards establishing a new, more efficient, and accessible court system in New Zealand. “1 regard the task of ensuring that people have access to our courts as one of the biggest responsibilities of my portfolio,” he said.