DOMESTIC CASES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20485, 11 December 1934, Page 5

DOMESTIC CASES.

Medical Men to Advise Married Couples. POLICE-COURT SCHEME. (Special to the " Star.”) LONDON. October 29. The North London Police Court has a panel of medical men ready to give * free advice to married couples who go ! before the Court. : This was disclosed by Mr Claud Mullins, the Magistrate at the Court, when addressing a meeting in London of the i Jewish Association for the Protection | of Girls. Women and Children. | Mr Mullins said that before any ap- ! plication for a separation order came : j before a Magistrate it should be thori oughly investigated by some responsi person, who should be able to tell | the Magistrate what the trouble bej tween the parties really was. I “ Often these cases are decided merely upon the laws of evidence,” he added. “ These laws are like the rules of football. The Magistrate is the referee, and the sole function of the Court is to say who has won. The legal issue in many of these cases is comparatively unimportant. “ Often if advice were given to married couples by a doctor unhappiness and separation would be saved. You have only to say ‘ sex ’ to the average Christian parson and he is uncomfortable. “ It is appalling to think of the number of couples who come before the Courts after a few months of marriage only. Surely it is outrageous that the law should be simply and solely that I should referee a dog-fight and say who has won the legal battle. “ I say the real issue is, ‘ What is wrong, and can it be put right?’ That is why I am working with considerable energy to secure this, and it is shocking the authorities.” Mr Mullins has already made an experiment in dealing with cases affecting : married persons. As far as possible he j reserves Friday afternoons for hearing the cases, and the parties arc usually , seen by the Court Missionary and j woman probation officer before the { Court.