REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
| Published date | 01 July 1947 |
| Date | 01 July 1947 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2230.1947.tb00054.x |
REPORTS
OF
COMMITTEES
MATRIMONIAL
CAUSES
THE
Matrimonial Causes Rules, 1947, which came into force on
1st
May, give effect to
a
number of the recommendations of the
Denning Committee, the reports of which have been commented
on in the three preceding numbers of this Review.
We are indebted to the Marriage Law Reform Committee
for
a
copy of
a
useful Memorandum which they have prepared
showing the extent to which the recommendations
of
the
Denning Committee have now been carried out. Although
much has been done, there are of course many recommenda-
tions, including some of those not requiring legislation, to
which effect has still to be given, notably the abolition of a
number of affidavits which the Committee rightly considered
unnecessary and the readier admissibility of signed statements,
affidavits and findings in previous proceedings. On these
points the Attorney-General in replying to the debate in the
House of Commons on 6th May, promised that further steps
would be taken shortly. He stated that the amendments
already made had reduced the average costs in undefended
divorces from $75 to E66 15s. 7d. and that the additional
recommendations would only reduce them by
a
further 24.
No
doubt this is
so
in the average case, but in the exceptional
case, the readier admission of evidence might save
a
great deal
more.
No
action has yet been taken as regards the recommenda-
tions that require legislation, although here again the Attorney-
General stated that they were under consideration. The most
important of these recommendations is of course that the
financial powers of Courts of Summary Jurisdiction should be
increased.
It
appears that nothing
is
to be done for the present
as
regards the major reforms in marriage guidance and reconcilia-
tion to which the Committee’s final report was mainly devoted.
The Lord Chancellor, when replying on 27th March to the
debate on this subject in the House of Lords, said that in his
view it would be fatal to take action while the number of
divorces remained at
its
present level and that he proposed
1
A
limited number
of
copies
(1s.
each) may be obtained
on
application to the
304
Secretary at the Committee’s offices,
20
Buckingham Street, W.C.2.
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