GROWING DIVORCE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 125, 29 May 1930, Page 20

GROWING DIVORCE

BRITISH FIGUEES

LEAP UPWARDS

Nearly 1200 matrimonial and other ■domestic disputes disposed of by I tho three divorco Judges—Lord Merrival, Mr. Justice Hill; and Mr. Justice Bateson—during the' British Hilary law term which ended ,-. recently (says the "Daily Mail"). : When the Judgcsibegan their work on 11th January there was a formidable list of cases, and it was not generally expected that: tney would more than complete the tasks before . tho Easter vacation. They have been> abie to remove the mountain, and even more. Having finished the printed lists they proceeded to deal with a largo number of supplemental cases which otherwise would have impeded the Courts for tho rest of the legal year. Theso hard-worked Judges have, m fact, cleared the way for what may provo a rocord year for disposing or. divorce cases. Last year.there were approximately 4600 cases,,i% England and Wales. The number!-fir: decrees made absolute in 1920 wasviOi&ipr 828 more than 1927, aridmpre-thaniSve^time^as many as in Many Vfair-dishing decisions: were made, in the^past term and a concerted attack 6n':the; secrecy of divorce has bad important! effects. ....,.■■ ■ The "hotel'? -divorce suit, W. whien the husband, so, that his '■- wife mayget a decree and'sboth their freedom, visits an hotel witii,;'«'a vvoman,unknown, is becoming^scfircer. ,' ;_ ; . , _ . Tho farce 'vvaa exposed and lawyers who deaVti^rtocgntly^ with such easos haßut^thi^with a different ideas,. and those /who^specialised """^^ duetion divorce," saw the red flag.of danger in the *onstant rejection-b X the jnages. of m 0 oftetf spurious pet> tloThe most- important move:has ,been in inviting the; assistance oflheAttor-ney-Gerieral, Sir^illiam .JowitV K-C-, to settle' the y«ied question as to^the extent of sthe "discretion?'^Judges^may be aUowea to giv& to petitioners who are tnemselves J^l^ o£, imfor^: n ; Sir William has urged the prevention of secrecy las practised by some petitionersiin "'discretion cases "and declared that such. frauds on the Court were a grave public scandal.