DIVORCE REFORM BILL (Hansard, 25 April 1969)

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I have posted up, as is my wont, the Amendments which I have selected for consideration.
The first Amendment is new Clause 1— '(Decree to be refused in certain circumstances)' with which I propose that we take new Clause 6—"Comparative hardship"—plus Amendment No. 14, in page 2, line 10, Clause 2, leave out '4' and insert: '(Decree to be refused in certain circumstances)' 815 and Amendment No. 20, in page 3, line 36, leave out Clause 4.

§ Mr. Leo Abse (Pontypool)
On a point of order. I wonder whether I might commend to you, Mr. Speaker, that we take new Clause 9—"Voluntary restriction of divorce"—and Amendment No. 10, in page 2, line 3, Clause 2, at end insert: (2) The court shall not hold the marriage to have broken down irretrievably if the respondent satisfies the court

(a) that the marriage was entered into after the commencement of this Act by a religious ceremony;

(b) that notwithstanding subsection 1 above, granting the petition would conflict with tenets of the religion according to the rites of which the marriage ceremony took place; and

(c) that both the petitioner and the respondent knew, at the time of the marriage, of the relevant tenets of the religion concerned.

together as they both deal with the principle whether a marriage in certain but different circumstances should be indissoluble, the principle against which is the same?

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The usual request I receive is for hon. Members to want more to be selected than fewer or fewer to be grouped. The matter for selection and grouping, however, is for the Chair.