• Abolish adultery and desertion as grounds for divorce
• Set up a new fast track divorce on separation grounds
• Equate cohabitation and marriage over financial matter
  

Ahead of the Executive's public consultation deadline of 8th December, the Institute is contacting 2,000 Churches in Scotland with a copy of its report entitled "Marriage - worth fighting for". The report provides a critique of the most controversial aspects of the Executive's Family Law Proposals.

Colin Hart, Director of the Institute said today
"Scotland has a lower divorce rate than England and Wales. We'd like to keep it that way, but divorce rates will rocket under the Executive's new fast track divorce scheme.

Only one quarter of all divorces involve children under 16 in Scotland. In England and Wales it is 56%. Abolishing adultery & desertion and fast-tracking divorce on separation grounds will mean that more children in Scotland will experience their parents' divorce.

Under the present system hundreds of couples drop divorce proceedings midway through. They decide to stick together. Under the new system there will be a divorce conveyor belt. I believe far fewer will turn back.

Not many people know the details of what is being proposed. When the message gets over to the Scottish people I believe there will be considerable opposition to making divorce easier.

Marriage is worth fighting for. That means that opposing easy divorce and moves which will blur the distinction between marriage and cohabitation."

ENDS.

For further information contact Colin Hart on 0131 226 3555 (office)

Notes for Editors:
1. The report is available online at www.christian.org.uk
2. The Christian Institute is a registered charity which seeks to promote the historic Christian faith in the UK. Previous campaigns have included the Human Rights Bill (where the Government was forced to make concessions to protect religious groups from litigation), Section 28 and the Conservative Government's 1996 Divorce Reforms for England and Wales.