LIFE IN RUSSIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 December 1923, Page 7

LIFE IN RUSSIA

DECREASE IN DIVORCES. “There is no such thing in Russian law as an illegitimate child,’’ states “Russian Information and Review,” published by the Information Department of the Russian Trade Delegation. “Soviet family law is distinguished by two all-important features. The first and foremost is the care taken to safeguard the interests of the child, lhe right of the child to existence, to proper care and food, and, under proper circumstances, to direct support by its parents, is recognised, whether the child has been born in wedlock or not. . a Whether formally married or not, the parents are given rights over ieir children only in so far as such rights are to the interest of the latter. If a parent in any way abuses such rights he is Hable to bo deprived of them altogether in a court of law. “The second important feature of the Soviet family law is the fact that the registration of a marriage, whether civil or ecclesiastical, confers no special rights on husband or wife. Marriage may be dissolved at any time without difficulty.” It is stated that the number of divorces that now occur in Russia does not exceed 5 to 10 per cent, of the registered marriages. “It is trim that there was a- period in 1918 when the number of divorces was actually greater than the number oi marriage.;. But this only proved lhe number of unhappy marriages that had existed previously, which under the old laws had to be endured, and which the parties at once dissolved when they were given the opportunity. 10-dai, on the other hand, with the establishment of normal conditions, divorce, though easy enough Io obtain-is m longer of abnormally frequent occurrence.